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Related Experiment Videos

Degenerative spondylolisthesis. Developmental or acquired?

T W Love1, A B Fagan, R D Fraser

  • 1Royal Adelaide Hospital, South Australia, Australia.

The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. British Volume
|August 27, 1999
PubMed
Summary

Degenerative spondylolisthesis is more common in women, but facet joint morphology doesn't explain this difference. Loss of soft-tissue resilience likely causes facet joint failure, leading to subluxation.

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Area of Science:

  • Orthopedics
  • Radiology
  • Geriatric Medicine

Background:

  • Degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS) is notably more prevalent in women than men.
  • The underlying reasons for this significant gender disparity in DS remain largely unexplained.
  • Previous hypotheses have focused on anatomical differences, including facet joint morphology.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of facet joint morphology in the gender difference observed in degenerative spondylolisthesis.
  • To determine if specific facet joint orientations contribute to the higher incidence of DS in women.
  • To explore the relationship between facet joint angle, arthritis, and the development of DS.

Main Methods:

  • Radiographic and CT scan analysis of 118 patients over 55 years old diagnosed with DS.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Comparison with a control group of individuals under 46 years old.
  • Assessment of facet joint orientation and angle in both patient and control groups.

    • Main Results:

    • Patients with DS exhibited a higher prevalence of sagittally-oriented facet joints, confirming previous observations.
    • No significant correlation was found between facet joint morphology and the gender difference in DS.
    • The increased facet joint angle in DS patients was attributed to arthritic remodeling, not a primary causative factor.

    Conclusions:

    • Facet joint morphology does not appear to be the primary driver of the gender disparity in degenerative spondylolisthesis.
    • Arthritic changes, rather than inherent joint structure, are more likely responsible for the altered facet joint angles observed in DS.
    • Reduced soft-tissue resilience, leading to facet joint failure as a final protective mechanism against subluxation, is a more probable explanation for DS development.