Table 3. Operative management of athletes with spondylolysis.

Authors and year	No. of patients	Method	Mean age (y)	Average F/U (mo)	Patients with bilateral, unilateral defects	No. of vertebral level	Complications	Union rates	Outcomes	Average return to play (mo)
Roca et al 198945	15	Compression screw (Buck) and bone graft	21.4	12–120	N/A	10 L5, 7 L4	N/A	93%	86% good or excellent, 7% fair, 7% poor	9
Salib and Pettine 199324	1	Pedicle screw with segmental wire fixation (modified Scott) and bone graft	20	6	Bilateral	L3	N/A	100%	100% excellent	6
Hardcastle 19935	10	Compression screw (Buck) and bone graft	20.9	17.9	5 bilateral; 5 unilateral	9 L5, 1 L4	2 wound infections	100%	100% excellent	N/A
Jarolem et al 199740	1	Pedicle screws with hooks and bone graft	15	24	bilateral	L3	N/A	N/A	100% excellent	12
Reitman and Essis 20028	4	Compression screw (Buck) and bone graft	17.7	26	N/A	4 L5	1 screw breakage	N/A	75% excellent, 25% good	6
Nozawa et al 200342	20	Segmental wire fixation (Scott) and bone graft	23.7	42	N/A	19 L5, 2 L4	1 wire pullout, 2 wire breakage	100%	75% excellent, 25% good	12
Debnath et al 200323	22	19 patients compression screw (Buck) and bone graft; 3 patients segmental wire fixation (Scott)	20.2	24	15 bilateral; 7 unilateral	15 L5, 3 L4, 3 L3, 1 L4 and L5	2 nonunions	N/A	82% good or excellent, 18% fair or poor	7
Ranawat et al 200344	9/18a	Compression screw (Buck) and bone graft	21.7	68	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	100% excellent	N/A
Ogawa et al 200743	7	Segmental wire fixation (Scott) and bone graft	26.7	51	7 bilateral	5 patients 2 levels, 2 patients 3 levels	1 wire breakage with pseudarthrosis	81%	72% excellent, 14% good, 14% fair	N/A
Bozarth et al 200736	2	Pedicle screw with segmental wire fixation (modified Scott) and bone graft	16.5	12	2 bilateral	2 L5	N/A	100%	100% excellent	8
Debnath et al 200738	8/42b	Compression screw (Buck) and bone graft	N/A	24	8 unilateral	5 L5, 1 L4, 2 L3	N/A	N/A	ODI 39.4 to 6.4, SF-36 (PCS) 29.6 to 49.2, SF-36 (MCS) 38.7 to 54.5	6
Brennan et al 200837	1	Compression screw (Buck)	17	N/A	Bilateral	L5	N/A	100%	100% excellent	6
Sutton et al 201234	5/7c	Pedicle screws with hooks and bone graft	20	24	N/A	N/A	1 iliac crest donor site pain	N/A	100% excellent	6
Hioki et al 201239	44	Segmental wire fixation (Scott) and bone graft	24.2	85	Bilateral	42 L5, 2 L4 and L5	4 wire breakage, 1 TP fracture	73%	JOA scores improved in 93% of cases	N/A
Menga et al 201441	25	Compression screw (Buck) and bone graft	16	60	N/A	N/A	1 pars screw fracture	N/A	Improved postoperative VAS score by 5.76 points	6

Abbreviations: F/U, follow-up; JOA, Japanese Orthopaedic Association; N/A, not applicable; SF-36, Short Form 36; PCS, physical component summary; MCS, mental component summary; ODI, Oswestry Disability Index; TP, transverse process; VAS, visual analog scale.

^aThe rest were treated by activity limitation and physiotherapy.

^bThe rest of the patients were treated conservatively, and it was a mixed group of athletes and nonathletes.

^cTwo patients had success with conservative treatment.