title: Brace treatment for symptomatic spondylolisthesis.
abstract: The literature documents progression of spondylolisthesis, most commonly during the adolescent growth spurt. Twenty-eight patients with Grades I and II spondylolisthesis were treated with antilordotic braces. Presenting signs and symptoms included back pain (61%), tight hamstrings (53%), increased lordosis (25%), and mild scoliosis (21%). Three patients presented with spondylolysis and progressed to a slip prior to initiation of brace treatment. Mean duration of brace treatment was 25 months. In the brace, lateral roentgenograms demonstrated a significant reduction of lumbar lordosis and sacral inclination. At the conclusion of brace treatment all patients were pain-free and none had demonstrated a significant increase in slip percent.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Ehrlich
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Zaleske
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001915:Braces; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008141:Lordosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D011859:Radiography; D013168:Spondylolisthesis / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*