Evaluation and management of high-grade spondylolisthesis in adults

A retrospective review was performed on 21 adult patients surgically treated with high-grade spondylolisthesis (Grade III, IV, or V). Additionally, the natural history, classification, and surgical alternatives for high-grade spondylolisthesis in the adult are discussed through literature review.

The purpose of this article is to review the clinical and radiographic outcomes of surgical treatment of high-grade spondylolisthesis in the adult from a single institution. The natural history and treatment options for these adults are described in this review.

High-grade spondylolisthesis is typically diagnosed and treated in the child or adolescent. Most patients with high-grade spondylolisthesis received surgical treatment during their adolescence. Some patients, however, remain minimally symptomatic for life without surgery. Little has been written on the natural history or treatment of adults with high grades of spondylolisthesis. Most of the published reports on the surgical treatment of high-grade spondylolisthesis pertain to skeletally immature patients and maybe include a few adults in their series. Nonetheless, the different techniques of surgical treatment for high-grade spondylolisthesis that have been described in these studies can help the spinal surgeon in treatment options for this rare but difficult spinal deformity.

A literature review of the published manuscripts on the treatment of high-grade spondylolisthesis was performed with particular attention to the natural history and surgical treatment involving adult patients. Adult patients (older than 21 years) with high-grade spondylolisthesis treated surgically were retrospectively reviewed. Patients' clinical charts and radiographs were reviewed before and after surgery. Determination of fusion success, clinical outcome, and complications were performed.

Twenty-one consecutive adults with high-grade spondylolisthesis who underwent lumbar spinal surgery were review retrospectively between 1990 and 2004. There were 13 females and 8 males with an average age of 35 years (range, 21-68 years). The average follow-up was 6.6 years. There were 11 Grade III, 6 Grade IV, and 4 Grade V slips, including 4 acquired and 17 developmental spondylolistheses. There were no pseudarthroses or significant instrumentation failures. There was 1 case of a complete cauda equina syndrome on a patient with preoperative symptoms of an incomplete cauda equina syndrome.

Adult patients with high-grade spondylolisthesis not responding to nonoperative treatment can be stabilized in situ with posterior instrumentation from L4 to S1. The use of adjunctive fixation with iliac screws and/or transvertebral screws is recommended for the adult patient, particularly in revision or unstable cases. Reduction of the slipped vertebrae remains controversial for all grades of spondylolisthesis and more so for the adult patient. Partial reduction of the slip angle, decreasing the lumbosacral kyphosis, should be considered if significant sagittal malalignment is present or to improve arthrodesis success. Anterior column support should be performed, particularly when reduction has been obtained. Anterior column support can be performed, anteriorly or posteriorly, either by using inter vertebral body structural strut support or with a transsacral fibular dowel to improve stability and success of arthrodesis.