title: Treatment of degenerative spondylolisthesis.
abstract: The purpose of this article is to evaluate three surgical approaches to the treatment of degenerative spondylolisthesis. A review of 107 surgically treated cases were used to select a group of patients who met the following criteria: No previous spine surgery, no involvement in litigation, and no significant lesions at other levels of the spine. Adequate follow-up. The selected group of 47 surgically treated cases of degenerative spondylolisthesis had follow-up of 2-7 years. Three surgical approaches to the treatment of degenerative spondylolisthesis were analyzed. A relatively small patient group with a wide posterior decompression, at the level of the slip, sacrificing the articular processes had good to excellent results in only 33% of the cases. A second group with a midline posterior decompression with preservation of the articular processes had 80% good to excellent results after 2 years. The third group with a midline decompression and preservation of the articular processes had an added intertransverse process fusion between the olisthetic levels. This group had 90% good to excellent results. The conclusion is that a posterior decompression with preservation of the articular processes plus a transverse process fusion at the involved level is the preferred method of treatment for degenerative spondylolisthesis without regard to age.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008722:Methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011859:Radiography; D012086:Reoperation; D013123:Spinal Fusion; D013168:Spondylolisthesis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D013997:Time Factors