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Cracking the Code for Improved Healing of Spondylolysis

Posted on: 08/10/2004
Doctors at the Sports Medicine Center in Akron, Ohio, have shown the need for early diagnosis in young athletes with spondylolysis. This condition affects the low back. It involves a fracture in the bone structure in a small area in the spinal column.

Finding the problem early gives the patient a better chance for bone healing. Older lesions and fractures on both sides of the spine are less likely to heal completely. Bone scans and special CT scans called SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography) find problems X-rays don't show.

In this study, 40 young athletes between the ages of 12 and 20 with spondylolysis were followed for up to 11 years. The subjects were divided into three groups right after diagnosis. Group A showed no sign of new bone or healing. Group B was in the process of healing. Group C had some bone bridging the fracture, indicating a later stage of healing.

Each patient was contacted by phone seven to 11 years after being diagnosed with this problem. They were asked questions about function and the need for surgery. They were asked to judge the effect of spondylolysis on their everyday activities.

The researchers found that all patients were still active in some kind of sport. Only two reported their choice of work or job was made based on their back problems.

Defects on one side only of the spinal column healed fully. Defects on both sides shows signs of breaking down. Overall most adolescent athletes recovered from spondylolysis with conservative treatment. Early diagnosis is important to complete recovery. A bone scan appears to be better than an X-ray to find early defects.

References:
Stephen F. Miller, MD, et al. Long-Term Functional and Anatomical Follow-up of Early Detected Spondylolysis in Young Athletes. In The American Journal of Sports Medicine. May/June 2004. Vol. 32. No. 4. Pp. 928-933.

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