Pre- and postoperative radiological changes and their association with pain outcomes in patients with lumbar spondylolisthesis

Aim: In the literature, low-grade isthmic and degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis (Grade 1-2) types have been evaluated either evaluated in isolation or in combination. Studies investigating the clinical impact of preoperative and postoperative radiological measurements of the lumbar spine and pelvis, including the level of spondylolisthesis, are available. In this study, we investigated whether the degree of radiological correction of slippage was associated with postoperative pain improvement in 110 patients with Grade 1-2 isthmic or degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis.

Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included a total of 110 patients with lumbar spondylolisthesis who underwent surgery using a standardized technique at a single center between January 2020 and February 2024.

Results: The average age of the 110 patients included in the study was 58.63 ± 9.40 years. When the distrubiton of spondylolisthesis levels were evaluated, 7.3% of patients had spondylolisthesis at the L3–L4 level, 50.9% at the L4–L5 level, and 40.9% at the L5–S1 level. A moderate negative correlation was found between the percentage improvement in postoperative slippage and changes in the patients' VAS scores.

Conclusion: In conclusion, a greater degree of radiological correction was not associated with better short-term pain improvement in patients with low-grade lumbar spondylolisthesis. Our findings suggest that near-complete anatomical restoration of the spine may not provide additional benefit in early clinical outcomes.