Low back pain in college football linemen.

Abstract

&dquo;separate neural arch&dquo; ranging from 4.2% to 5.2%.s 20 However, the anatomical dissection did not differentiate between separate neural arch (bilateral sponylolysis) and spondylolisthesis. Radiographically the incidence is slightly lower, and collected series of pre-employment films have shown the incidence to range from 2.08% to 4.4%.1, 3, 18 This lower incidence reflects x-ray technique, the ability of the radiologist, and the fact that the films are taken with the patient supine. Wiltse24 states that many patients with known bilateral spondylolysis can be converted to spondylolisthesis by applying a load to the lumbosacral joint at the time of x-ray. He therefore recommended that patients with spondylolysis have weight-bearing films. Although the etiology of spondylolisthesis remains in question most evidence supports