Table 3

Characteristics of included studies.

AUTHORLevel of evidence (CP judgement on JBJS)Mean FU (years)Study Design/TypeN Cases/Grade (G) if availablePatient Factors (previous surgery, age, sex)Type/Level of Spondylolisthesis
2002_HansonLevel IV - therapeutic, non-comparative retrospective, case series4.6 yrs (2-7)Retrospective clinicalN = 17 (n = 15 G4; n = 2 G3)10 primary and 7 revision, pediatric and adult (9-56, 20.3 mean), 15F 2MIsthmic, L5-S1
2002_CuryloLevel III - prognostic, retrospective study with no control groupn/aRetrospective radiographicn = 45Avg age 22 (11-55), 37F 16MSpondyloptosis, bony dysplasia
2002_ HansonLevel II - prognostic, retrospective, with controln/aRetrospective radiographicN = 80 (20 HG, 20 LG, 20 adult control, 20 pediatric control)Mean age: HG (17.7, 10-50), LG (26.6, 15-51), adult (60), ped (11.8)Isthmic
2002_MolinariLevel III - therapeutic retrospective comparative study3.1 yrs (2-10)Retrospective clinicalN = 31 (Higher Grade tended to get reduction and internal stabilization)31 primary, 6 revision, adolescent (13.5, 9-20)Isthmic and dysplastic
2003_HuangLevel II - prognostic, retrospective study, with controln/a (preop x-rays only)Retrospective radiographicN= 36 (n = 22 HG, n = 14 LG)Adolescents and adult: Avg 21.3 yrs (12-53), 24 women, 12 men, HG age 25.3, LG age 15.4Isthmic only, L5-S1 only
2005_DeWaldLevel III - prognostic, retrospective, with no control6.6 yrs (1-14)Retrospective review and literature reviewN = 215 revisions, Avg age 35 yrs (21-68), 13F 8MDevelopmental (dysplatic) and acquired (isthmic), L5-S1 and L5-L6
2005_ShufflebargerLevel IV - therapeutic, case series3.3 yrs (2-5)Prospective clinical, single arm cohortN = 18Avg age 14 yrs (10-16), 11 women, 7 menIsthmic dysplastic
2005_VialleLevel IV - prognostic case seriesn/aRadiographic analysis and clinical reviewN = 100Avg age 13.8 yrs (8-17), 67 women, 33 menIsthmic (with dysplastic posterior elements)
2006_HeleniusLevel III - therapeutic, retrospective comparative study17.2 yrs (11-26)Retrospective comparativen = 21 posterolateral
n = 23 anterior
n = 26 circumferential
Avg age 14.4 yrs, 25 women, 45 menHigh-grade isthmic
2006_PoussaLevel III - therapeutic, retrospective comparative study14.8yrs (11.6-18.7)Retrospective follow-up, comparative, nonrandomizedN = 22, n = 11 reductionAvg age 14.7 yrs (11-18) 16F 6M (split evenly between groups)Isthmic >60%, 3 exaggerated lumbar lordosis, 1 scoliosis
n = 11 in situIsthmic >50%, Scoliosis n = 3 due to slip, Gait problems n = 3
2006_VialleLevel IV - therapeutic, case series18 yrsRetrospective case series; clinical and radiographic outcomesN = 40, all HG13.5 yrs (6-18), 25F 15Mall L5-S1, isthmic and/or dysplastic
2007_HreskoLevel II - prognostic, retrospective studyn/aRetrospective review, radiographic database of HGIS comparison to controlsN = 133 HG, asymptomatic controls matched by PI17 yrs (inclusion 10-40yrs), 70%FDevelopmental spondylolisthesis, L5-S1
2007_VialleLevel II - prognostic, retrospective studyn/aRetrospective radiographic review w/ healthy control groupTotal N = 244 patients, N = 300 control; HG n = 174: G3= 98, G4= 59, G5= 17N = 244: 13.9 yrs (6-25), 158F 86MDevelopmental spondylolisthesis
2008_Rodriguez-OlaverriLevel III - therapeutic, retrospective comparative study35 months (24-48)Retrospective review of two treatments - radiographs and clinicaln = 20 TLIF, n = 2 Transsacral30yrs (19-48)Mean grade 3.6 Meyerding (3-5)
2008_SassoLevel IV - prognostic, retrospective case series39 months (30-71)Retrospective clinical studyn = 2529.8yrsHigh-grade isthmic spondylolisthesis
2009_HreskoLevel IV - prognostic, retrospective case series2-yr min, mean 7.5±5.4Retrospective reviewn = 2613.1 +/-3.3 yrs. 20F 6MHigh-grade spondylolisthesis
2010_SansurLevel II - prognostic retrospective studyNARetrospective large-scale databasen = 10,242Age >65 has higher comp rate, but not after adjusting for grade/typeDegenerative and isthmic spondylolisthesis
2011_JalankoLevel III - therapeutic, retrospective comparative studyHG 18 yrs (12-25)Retrospective comparative studyn = 41 children, n = 19 HG12 yrs (8-14) HG- 13F 6MIsthmic spondylolisthesis, low back pain in most or risk of progression
HG 15 yrs (11-26)n = 41 adolescent matched controls (matched for treatment, gender, and slip severity), n = 19 HG16 yrs (13-19) HG- 13F 6M
2012_KasliwalLevel II - prognostic, retrospective studyn/a, short-termRetrospective study of databaseN = 165; n = 88 pediatric: n = 40 G3, n = 34 G4, n = 14 G523% revisions (overall). 13.9 yrs (7-18); 61F 27MIsthmic in n = 56
n = 77 adult: n = 53 G3, n = 17 G4, n = 7 G5. Isthmic n = 4723% revisions (overall). 44.4 yrs (19-84); 44F 33MIsthmic in n = 47
2014_WangLevel II - prognostic, prospective cohortN/AProspective clinical, two study armsIsthmic n = 6444.5 yrs (13-65); 30F 34MIsthmic spondylolisthesis on L5