The treatment of lumbar spondyloptosis or impending lumbar spondyloptosis accompanied by neurologic deficit and/or neurogenic intermittent claudication.

Three patients with complete lumbar spondyloptosis and 8 patients with fourth-degree spondylolisthesis suffering from radicular signs and symptoms are reported. There were 8 female and 3 male patients in the study. A high incidence of neurogenic intermittent claudication was noted in this condition. Decompressive laminectomy and foraminectomy were performed on all patients followed by transabdominal console fusion. Length of follow-up varied from 3 to 17 years, with a mean value of 13.5 years, and results are reported. Radicular signs and symptoms had completely subsided in all cases. Nine of 11 patients are free from signs and symptoms and 2 suffer from residual pain, although less severe than before surgery. All 3 males fathered children after surgery, which is in contrast to the opinion that anterior lumbosacrial fusion is followed by infertility in males. Special attention was given to individuality of remodeling of the lumbosacral junction over the course of time. Solid fusion was obtained in 10 of the 11 patients, while the console fusion collapsed because of failure to follow instructions after surgery in 1 patient.