[Direct screwing in spondylolysis: results and observations on indications]

Ten patients suffering from persisting low-back pain underwent direct repair of spondylolysis L5 with hook screws. At a follow-up three to four years after the operation, four patients showed good and six unsatisfactory results. Four patients had a secondary procedure. Average age was relatively high in the study group compared with the literature, and pain tended to be chronic. In five of the six patients with a poor clinical result, radiological consolidation of the lytic defect could not be demonstrated. We are discussing indications based on a literature review.