Spondylolisthesis

doi:10.1017/9781108917339.017

Chapter 17 - Spondylolisthesis

from Section 2 - Clinical Neurosurgical Diseases

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 04 January 2024

Yike Jin ,

Ann Liu ,

Ravi Medikonda and

Edited by

Florian Engert and

Farhana Akter: Affiliation:
Harvard University, Massachusetts
Nigel Emptage: Affiliation:
University of Oxford
Florian Engert: Affiliation:
Harvard University, Massachusetts
Mitchel S. Berger: Affiliation:
University of California, San Francisco

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Summary

Spondylolisthesis is defined as the slippage of one vertebra over another. When the posterior bony elements are dissociated from the anterior column, high shear forces on the disc can lead to slippage of the vertebral bodies on one another. There are five types: dysplastic isthmic, degenerative, traumatic, and pathological. Biomechanical models are limited and attempt to replicate on isthmic and degenerative etiologies. From a clinical standpoint, several studies have explored the relative efficacy of surgical versus non-operative treatment and among surgical treatments, the need for decompression and fusion vs decompression alone. While several landmark studies have established several guides to surgical treatment, the lack of consensus on the use of different surgical approaches leaves room for future work.

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Type: Chapter
Information: Neuroscience for Neurosurgeons , pp. 248 - 253

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108917339.017 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2024

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