The Alteration of Sagittal Lumbosacral Alignment After Posterior Stabilization-Fusion in Lumbar Spondylolisthesis: Clinical Study

Abstract

Objective: Spondylolisthesis (SL) is a condition that occurs in 2-8% of the general population. Sagittal spinopelvic alignment determines the mechanical stress in the lumbosacral junction. The aim of this study is to understand how much we can correct sagittal lumbosacral alignment to maintain sagittal balance in SL by surgical treatment and to demonstrate the effectiveness of posterior fixation in maintaining sagittal balance. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the cases operated with SL between January 2011 and June 2016. Wiltse classification was used to determine the type of SL. The parameters of sagittal balance (slip rate, slip angle, lumbar lordosis angle, lumbosacral kyphosis and sacral slope) were evaluated preoperatively and postoperatively. Results: The study was carried out with 63 cases, 31.7% (n=20) male and 68.3% (n=43) female. The mean age was 57.16±12.55 years. The correction of slip rate and slip angle was found to be statistically significant (p<0.01). Conclusion: The objective of our study was to investigate how the surgery influenced sagittal spino-pelvic alignment of SL and to investigate the correlation between the effectiveness and the changes of spine-pelvic sagittal parameters for patients with SL before and after operation.