Surgical treatment of lumbar spondylolisthesis

This article provides an overview of studies that address the medical and surgical treatment of lumbar spondylolisthesis, both degenerative and isthmic. Although the efficacy of decompression for symptomatic lumbar stenosis recalcitrant to conservative treatment has been demonstrated, the addition of instrumentation to a fusion procedure remains controversial. The senior author's (VKHS) experience with pedicle screw fixation and fusion for lumbar spondylolisthesis, the addition of interbody fusion, and spinal navigation is reviewed.