Degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis with an intact neural arch (pseudospondylolisthesis)

[Lumbar spinal canal stenosis : A historical perspective]

To know the history of a disease and its treatment is always instructive and helps us to understand the contexts better. It also shows what unbelievable preliminary work was necessary for us be able to treat patients today in the way we are used to. This article attempts to shed light on spinal canal stenosis from a historical perspective and to identify the pioneers who contributed to the understanding of the epidemiology, anatomy, pathogenesis, classification and diagnostic work-up of spinal canal stenosis. In addition, the efforts of scientists and clinicians who have participated in developing the treatment of lumbar spinal canal stenosis in the last seven decades should be recognized.

Surgical management of lumbar stenosis: decompression and indications for fusion

Review of the clinical, neuroradiological, and surgical management of lumbar spinal stenosis reveals that 90 to 95% of congenital or acquired variants may be adequately managed by means of decompression without fusion. These decompressive procedures often simultaneously treat disc herniations, limbus fractures, degenerative spondylolisthesis, rare selected cases of spondylolisthesis accompanied by lysis in older patients, and degenerative scoliosis. Fusion should be reserved for the approximately 5 to 10% of patients in whom there is clinical evidence of instability prior to surgery or for the few who develop slippage following laminectomy and facetectomy.

Biomechanical comparison of facet-sparing laminectomy and Christmas tree laminectomy

OBJECT

The authors compared differences in biomechanical stability between two decompressive laminectomy techniques for treating lumbar stenosis. A Christmas tree laminectomy (CTL), in which bilateral facetectomies and foraminotomies are performed, was compared with facet-sparing laminectomy (FSL), in which the facets are undercut but not resected. Spinal instability was assessed immediately postoperatively and again after discectomy to model long-term degeneration.

METHODS

Sixteen motion segments obtained from five human cadaveric lumbar specimens were studied in vitro by conducting nondestructive flexibility tests. Specimens were tested intact, after FSL or CTL, and again after discectomy. Nonconstraining torques (< or = 5 Nm) were applied to induce flexion, extension, axial rotation, and lateral bending; strings and pulleys were used while vertebral angles were measured. Anteroposterior translation in response to shear loading (< or = 100 N) was also measured. Angular motion, shear motion, and sagittal-plane axes of rotation were compared to evaluate stability. Compared with the intact condition, CTL-treated specimens had significantly larger increases in angular motion during flexion, lateral bending, and axial rotation than their FSL-treated counterparts (p < 0.05, nonpaired Student t-tests). Subsequent discectomy caused greater increases in motion in the CTL group. Axes of rotation shifted less from their normal positions after FSL than after CTL.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides objective evidence that the treatment of lumbar stenosis with FSL induces less biomechanical instability and alters kinematics less than FSL. These findings support the use of the FSL in treating lumbar stenosis.

Degenerative spondylolisthesis in ancient and historic skeletons from New Mexico Pueblo sites

The objective of this study was to identify the presence of degenerative spondylolisthesis in adult Native American skeletons recovered from prehistoric and historic Pueblo sites in New Mexico. The vertebral columns of 491 individuals that were complete enough to allow the necessary observations produced 64 cases, with a total of 74 affected levels. The L5-S1 level was affected most frequently (78%), in contrast to clinical and anatomical studies where the L4-L5 level was usually affected (80%). Age and sex were found to be important factors, with the condition limited to middle and old adults, and occurring in females over males at a ratio of approximately 5:1. Olisthesis was shown to occur only in association with severe osteoarthritis of the zygapophysial joints, but severe osteoarthritis did not always result in olisthesis, particularly in males. Parallel or convergent inferior articular processes were found to increase in frequency in the presence of olisthesis, apparently resulting from degenerative remodeling that produced the olisthesis. The data also suggest that individuals with cranial border shifting in the column may be especially prone to olisthesis. Degenerative olisthesis was also observed in the cervical region.

Surgical treatment of degenerative spondylolisthesis in the lumbar spine: no reposition without prior decompression

In the present note, the cause of root compression in cases with degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis is discussed in order to clarify the best method of surgery and to avoid iatrogenic damage of the cauda equina if a transpedicular fusion is going to be performed. The root compression is due to osteophytes growing out from the upper articular facets and from the upper ridge of the lamina of the lower vertebra. Therefore, the repositioning of the anteriorly displaced vertebra by the instrumentation could lead to the squeezing of the cauda equina between the withdrawn vertebral body and the degeneratively enlarged and hypertrophic facet joints of the lower vertebra. The reposition (even if incomplete) must always be preceded by decompression on both sides, even if radicular complaints are unilateral.

Lumbosacral spine imaging: physioanatomic method

Noninvasive evaluation of low back and leg pain has progressed rapidly over the past decade. The development of computed tomography, single-photon emission-computed tomographic bone scan, and magnetic resonance imaging has markedly increased diagnostic accuracy in detecting pathologic conditions. With this increased accuracy has come recognition of a 50% prevalence of underlying abnormalities in patients between 20 and 60 years old who have no symptoms. When such patients have a back injury, subsequent imaging will show in half of the population studied abnormalities that are not related to an acute injury. Degeneration of the spine progresses in all patients throughout their lifetime, and nearly all of the population will have back discomfort at some time. Political- and judicial-based compensation for back injuries related to accidents and on-the-job injuries provides an incentive for patients not to improve on therapy and to exaggerate symptoms, further complicating the clinical evaluation of their condition. The goal of physioanatomic noninvasive and invasive imaging evaluation presented in the following chapters is to increase specificity by differentiating pain generators from asymptomatic underlying pathologic conditions. When used with intensive conservative management and psychologic testing, this physioanatomic approach has resulted in much better treatment outcomes in our experience. The physioanatomic approach is quite simple, consisting of rigorous correlation of pathologic changes demonstrated by noninvasive imaging modalities (computed tomography, single-photon emission-computed tomographic bone scan, and magnetic resonance), or invasive modalities (diskography-enhanced computed tomography, nerve root block and facet block) with the patient's symptoms to evaluate whether the symptoms and the pathologic lesion are concordant or discordant. Patient symptoms and history are evaluated by use of a pain drawing and information sheet. The patient's pain pattern is categorized into a nonspecific pattern or into one of four recognizable pathway patterns (radicular, dorsal ramus, polyneuropathy, and sympathetic). Because each spinal lesion is typically manifested primarily via one of the four symptom pathways, the distribution of expected symptoms from each pathologic feature can be compared with the patient's pain drawing, and an assessment of the significance of imaged lesions can be made. The patient's presenting symptoms are also used to determine the most cost-effective and efficacious use of initial diagnostic imaging evaluation. In a minority of patients the findings on noninvasive imaging either will not correlate with the patient's symptoms or will demonstrate multiple abnormalities that could account for the patient's symptoms. In these patients, invasive techniques are extremely helpful in defining a pain generator or pain generators.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Elective major lumbar spinal surgery in the elderly

A series of patients, aged 80 years or over, have undergone major elective spinal procedures. The gratifying results in this series were achieved with minimal complications. The author concludes that indicated spinal surgical procedures in the elderly should not be withheld on the basis of age alone.

Intact arch spondylolisthesis. A review of 50 cases and description of surgical treatment

Over the past 11 years, the authors have treated 50 cases of intact arch spondylolisthesis. There were 38 female and 12 male patients, and all but 11 were older than 60 years of age. Almost all had severe low-back pain made worse by standing or walking. Other common manifestations were unilateral leg pain, numbness or weakness of the leg, and evidence of mild cauda equina compression. Severe cauda equina compression was rare. Myelography invariably showed an extradural dorsal compression. A waist deformity was characteristic in many patients, but 12 had a complete block. In 15 patients (30%) the myelographic impression was that of a herniated intervertebral disc. Most subluxations were of L-4 on L-5. At operation, the facets were found to be thickened, distorted, and irregular. All patients were treated with a wide decompression and laminectomy, which included a medial facetectomy of the inferior and superior facets. An intervertebral disc was removed in 10 patients. Follow-up monitoring of 41 patients (for an average period of 36 months) showed that 26 (63%) were pain-free, 11 had less pain, and four were unimproved. Five other patients with short follow-up periods (average 5 months) were all improved.

Multiplanar CT in the evaluation of degenerative spondylolisthesis. A review of 150 cases

Degenerative spondylolisthesis (pseudospondylolisthesis) is a degenerative disorder of the intervertebral motion segment. It can be divided into two types: forward subluxation and backward subluxation. Forward subluxation is primarily a disease of the posterior joints and is found most commonly at L4/5. Retrolisthesis is a primary disorder of the disc space and is noted more commonly at L3/4. This paper reviews the CT findings in 150 patients with degenerative forward and backward subluxation. Proper evaluation of these disorders is extremely important because of the frequency of severe symptomatic spinal stenosis or foraminal encroachment.

Lumbar spondylolisthesis. Clinical syndrome and operative experience with Cloward's technique

The paper gives a survey, based on literature reports and our own experiences in 59 cases. According to Kilian (1853) spondylolisthesis is defined as ventral slipping of a vertebral body together with the pedicles. In pseudospondylolisthesis (Junghanns) the whole vertebra slips ventrally. Elongation of the isthmus of the pedicle or a cleft in the interarticular portion are prerequisites for spondylolisthesis. A dysplastic origin during childhood and adolescence is assumed. The relation of males to females is 2 : 1. Evolution of spondylolisthesis occurs during childhood and adolescence. The slipping process is finished in adults. Most often the condition is encountered in the lumbar, in particular in the lumbosacral, region. A third to one half of patients with spondylolysis (5-7%) demonstrate spondylolisthesis. Spondylolisthesis is usually an accidental finding, although the condition may lead to low back pain and sciatica. The earlier symptoms arise the gloomier usually is the prognosis. Very rarely a herniated disc in the cause of symptoms. Sciatica is mostly due to irritation of a nerve root by compression on the vertebral edge. Low back pain is caused by arthrogenic, pseudoarthrotic, and spondylotic degenerative disease. Diagnosis is established by AP, lateral, and oblique X-rays, and functional investigations. Myelogram and ossovenogram demonstrate compression of caudal sac and nerve roots. Conservative treatment consists of drugs and physical therapy, and cures one fifth of the patients. The best operative results are found after decompression and stabilisation (Cloward).

[Plantar ulcer secondary to spondylolisthesis. Report of a case]

A case of a 41 year-old-woman with a long history of back pain and bilateral plantar ulcer due to spondylolisthesis is reported. Symptomatology was solved by decompression followed by spinal fusion. Brief comments are presented on clinical aspects and surgical treatment.

Neurogenic intermittent claudication in association with spondylolisthesis

In the last three decades, more attention has been put upon neurogenic intermittent claudication, also called pseudoclaudication. The syndrome usually develops in patients with congenital narrow spinal canal and secondary additional narrowing. Two cases of spondylolisthesis with neurogenic intermittent claudication are presented. The pathogenesis, symptoms and findings of neurogenic intermittent claudication are discussed.

Myelography in lumbar spondylolisthesis

Radiography and myelography of 41 patients with lumbar spondylolisthesis and radicular syndrome were analysed. The L5 olisthesis in several aspects differed from the L4 olisthesis. Root pocket amputation was the most common explanation for the radicular syndrome but sometimes present without clinical signs. In this series disc herniation was uncommon and its diagnosis difficult. Total or subtotal block of the subarachnoid space was also uncommon but this diagnosis enforced the indication for decompressive operation.