The following results were obtained. (1) LF thickness increased with age; however, the increments at L4-5 and L3-4 were larger than one at L2-3 and L5-S1. (2) At L4-5, LF was over 3.0 mm thick in patients in the 20-29 age bracket, and in many of them it was more than 3.5 mm thick. (3) All patients with a thickened LF at L2-3 (>3.0 mm) had very thick LFs at all spinal levels. (4) In elderly patients, there was no correlation between the thickness of LF and the decrease of the disc height. In this study, we concluded that thickening of LF at L4-5 had already started in patients in the 30-39 age bracket and that thickening of the LF was not the buckling of the LF into the spinal canal with disc degeneration. The thickness of LF at L2-3 may serve as an indicator of lumbar spinal canal stenosis at multiple levels.

No abstract

The instantaneous axis of rotation deviated cranially as the stage of pars defects advanced, and as the wedge deformity increased. Kinematic alteration of the lumbar spine in pediatric patients with spondylolysis may affect chondrocytes of the endplate, perhaps contributing to the consequent spine deformities occurring secondarily to spondylolysis.

✓ The authors describe a new endoscopic technique to decompress lumbar nerve roots affected by spondylolysis. Short-term clinical outcome was evaluated. Surgery-related indications were: 1) radiculopathy without low-back pain; 2) no spinal instability demonstrated on dynamic radiographs; and 3) age older than 40 years. Seven patients, four men and three women, fulfilled these criteria and underwent endoscopic decompressive surgery. Their mean age was 60.9 years (range 42–70 years). No subluxation was present in four patients, whereas Meyerding Grade I slippage was demonstrated in three. For endoscopic decompression, a skin incision of 16 to 18 mm in length was made, and fenestration was performed to identify the affected nerve root. The proximal stump of the ragged edge of the spondylotic lesion, and the fibrocartilaginous mass compressing the nerve root were removed. The follow-up period ranged from 6 to 22 months (mean 11.7 months). Clinical outcome was evaluated using Gill criteria; in three patients the outcome was excellent, and in four it was good. This new endoscopic technique was useful in the decompression of nerve roots affected by spondylolysis, the technique was minimally invasive, and the clinical results were acceptable.

MRI revealed a higher prevalence of L3 or L4 spondylolysis than observed with CT.

Lumbar spondylolysis, a stress fracture of the pars interarticularis, is prevalent in adolescent athletes. Recent advances in diagnostic tools and techniques enable early diagnosis before these fractures progress to complete fractures through the pars. However, because patients often consult family physicians for primary care of low back pain and these physicians may not have access to diagnostic modalities such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography, stress fractures can be missed. This study surveyed the prevalence of symptomatic spondylolysis in pediatric patients who consulted an orthopedic clinic for primary care and investigated whether such acute stress fractures may be overlooked without MRI. The prospective study investigated 264 patients who were younger than 19 years and had low back pain. Of the 153 patients (58.0%) with low back pain persisting for longer than 2 weeks, 136 who agreed to undergo MRI were included in the study. This group included 11 elementary school students, 71 junior high school students, and 54 high school students. The overall prevalence of lumbar spondylolysis was 39.7% (54 of 136) and was 9.3% in elementary school students (5 of 11, 45.5%), 59.3% in junior high school students (32 of 71, 45.1%), and 31.5% in high school students (17 of 54, 31.5%). All 54 patients with spondylolysis had a history of athletic activity. Primary care physicians should recognize that approximately 40% of pediatric patients presenting with low back pain persisting for longer than 2 weeks may have spondylolysis and should consider MRI in those with a history of athletic activity. Because the spine is immature in this age group, almost half of affected elementary school and junior high school students may have lumbar spondylolysis. [Orthopedics. 2016; 39(3):e434-e437.].

The findings of this study support the hypothesis that vertebral forward slippage of the immature spine occurs following epiphyseal separation and its occurrence is unrelated to disc degeneration.

Lumbar spondylolysis usually occurs as a stress fracture in the pars interarticularis of the vertebra. It is a prevalent sports-related disorder and a common cause of low back pain. We encountered five athletes (4 males, 1 female) with severe low back pain. Mean age was 14.5 years. All five patients were found to have bilateral pars fracture. In all cases, staging based on the findings from computed tomography scan of the right and left pars fracture was different. On short tau inversion recovery magnetic resonance imaging (STIR-MRI) of the comparatively newer more recently injured side, high signal intensity changes were obvious and dominant at the intra- and extraosseous area, which would indicate tissue edema and/or bleeding. Furthermore, the imaging findings corresponded to the side of the low back pain. In conclusion, STIR-MRI can effectively distinguish between painful pars fracture and painless pars fracture.