The surgical treatment of spondylolisthesis

The authors report the results obtained in 244 patients submitted to anterior interbody fusion. The method involves preoperative reduction in plaster (when necessary) and anterior surgical stabilization, facilitated by improvement in the anatomical and biomechanical conditions obtained with reduction. This method obtained excellent results in 85% of the cases, with fusion and absence of symptoms, and good results in 10% of the cases, with occasional symptoms and/or fibrous. Results were unsatisfactory in 5% of the cases because of residual radiculopathy (4 cases), non-union of the fusion (3 cases), retrograde ejaculation (2 cases), loosening of the graft (1 case) or unthreading of a screw (1 case). It is our opinion that anterior interbody fusion is the best surgical method for the stabilization of Meyerding grades III, IV and V spondylolisthesis. Posterolateral fusion is used to treat some cases with slippage equal to less than 25% (grade I) and cases where more than one level is involved.