TREATMENT
Spondylolisthesis is the term for one vertebrae which has slipped over another vertebrae. Surgical treatment for spondylolisthesis falls into one of two possible approaches—decompression and decompression with fusion. The surgeon decides on the specific type of surgery after considering a patient’s unique symptoms and after evaluating the appearance of the various imaging studies. Decompression (without fusion) is generally avoided as it may progress into further problems, so most surgical procedures include both decompression and fusion.
A fusion may be done in situations where no attempt is made to fix (reduce) the slip. Occasionally, an attempt may be made to reduce the slip to create a more “normal” appearance to the spine. A type of fusion instrumentation is then implanted along with bone graft.