Adolescent spondylolisthesis

In adolescents and teens, spondylolisthesis usually occurs in athletes subject to repetitive hyperextension of the lumbar spine. In girls, this is frequently encountered in gymnasts and softball pitching.

In boys, football is common.

In these youngsters, cessation of sports for several months usually produces resolution.

Surgery is sometimes performed for patients who are unwilling to discontinue athletics.

3D printing patient-specific models provide added value for initial clinical diagnosis, preoperative surgical and implant planning, and patient and trainee education. 3D spine models are usually designed using CT data, due to the ability to rapidly image osseous structures with high spatial resolution. Combining CT and MRI to derive a composite model of bony and neurological anatomy can potentially provide even more useful information for complex cases. Parthasarathy et al. described such a case involving an adolescent with a grade V spondylolisthesis in which a composite model was manufactured for preoperative and intraoperative evaluation and guidance. They provide a detailed workflow for creating such models and outline their potential benefit in guiding a multidisciplinary team approach ¹⁾.