Diagnosis and treatment of severe dysplastic spondylolisthesis

Spondylolisthesis, the anterior or posterior displacement of one vertebra on another, usually affects the lumbar region. Five percent of the population has one of the five classes of spondylolisthesis, which include dysplastic, isthmic, degenerative, traumatic, and pathologic spondylolisthesis. This article focuses on the dysplastic type, which makes up 14% to 21% of all spondylolisthesis. Dysplastic spondylolisthesis usually causes no symptoms in children; pain usually begins in adolescence. The key to diagnosis is the appropriate use of radiography in the evaluation of low back pain. This report describes a case involving a 21-year-old woman presenting with back pain to the family physician. Also, it details how the diagnosis was achieved and evaluates conservative and aggressive treatment options.