Chapter 36
- DOI:
- 10.1093/med/9780199393947.003.0036
Spondylolysis defects can be unilateral or bilateral. If bilateral, there may be an associated spondylolisthesis. Unilateral spondylolysis may result in a sclerotic appearance of the contralateral pedicle; this is a stress reaction. The differential diagnosis for a sclerotic pedicle includes osteoid osteoma and metastatic disease. L4/L5 and L5/S1 are most frequently affected. Oblique radiographs or CT are helpful for diagnosis. The goals of treatment of a pars defect are aimed at alleviation of pain and facilitation of bone healing. It is usually treated conservatively with cessation of aggravating activity and spinal bracing for 3–6 months. Surgical treatment is instituted in patients who fail to respond to conservative treatment.
Access to the complete content on Oxford Medicine Online requires a subscription or purchase. Public users are able to search the site and view the abstracts for each book and chapter without a subscription.
Please subscribe or login to access full text content.
If you have purchased a print title that contains an access token, please see the token for information about how to register your code.
For questions on access or troubleshooting, please check our FAQs, and if you can't find the answer there, please contact us.
