• STUDY DESIGN
    • Retrospective chart review.
  • OBJECTIVES
    • To use the Micheli Functional Scale to assess adolescent patients with spondylolysis treated conservatively at midterm follow-up.
  • SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND
    • Spondylolysis is a common source of back pain for adolescents and is generally managed with bracing and physical therapy. There is little data regarding the results of conservative management of spondylolysis over time.
  • METHODS
    • Four major academic pediatric institutions performed a retrospective chart review of patients from 5 to 21 years of age with the initial diagnosis of spondylolysis. Inclusion criteria were patients who initially underwent conservative management and had a minimum of 2 years' follow-up. The patients were contacted and asked to complete the Micheli Functional Scale Survey.
  • RESULTS
    • A total of 295 patients with the diagnosis of spondylolysis were identified and contacted. Sixty-one subjects with spondylolysis completed the follow-up survey. Sixty of 61 respondents (98%) answered questions regarding their current pain level. Thirty-five of 60 (58.3%) reported no pain (0/10) and 47/60 (78%) rated their pain at 3 or less, whereas 22% (13/60) rated their pain as 4 or higher. There was no correlation with pain ratings on the follow-up survey and radiographic healing at initial management. Of the 61 patients, 50 returned to sports (82%), 8 did not return (13%), and 5 returned to most but not all of their sports (8%). No correlation was observed between radiographic healing and return to sports (p = .4885).
  • CONCLUSION
    • Using a validated functional scale, this study demonstrated that with conservative management of spondylolysis a majority of patients at an average of 8 years out self-report a return to sports (90%), though many reported continued pain (42%) and interference with activities (67%). There was no correlation observed between radiographic evidence of healing and pain or return to sports with a mean follow-up of 8 years.
  • LEVEL OF EVIDENCE
    • Multicenter retrospective case series.