Spine realignment surgery restores balance and quality of life.

Unlocking Stability: How Spinal Alignment Surgery Can Transform Your Life with Spondylolisthesis

Kai Mendoza in Health & Wellness August 2025 • 4 min read.

"Discover how surgical solutions are restoring balance and improving lives for those suffering from lumbar spondylolisthesis."

Maintaining balance is crucial for the human body, especially in the spine. Proper alignment in both the sagittal and coronal planes minimizes the energy needed to stand upright. When the body's center of gravity aligns correctly, it reduces muscular effort and promotes overall stability. Understanding this balance is key to addressing spinal issues.

Sagittal balance, which involves the alignment of the spine when viewed from the side, is maintained through various compensatory mechanisms. The lumbar lordosis, or the inward curve of the lower back, and the sagittal rotation of the pelvis around the hip axis are vital components. These elements work together to keep the body balanced and functional. However, conditions like spondylolisthesis can disrupt this delicate balance.

Spondylolisthesis, a condition where one vertebra slips over another, interferes with the body's natural compensatory mechanisms. This misalignment can lead to pain, discomfort, and reduced mobility. Fortunately, surgical interventions aim to correct these deformities and restore spinal stability, offering hope for improved quality of life.

Restoring Spinal Alignment: The Surgical Approach

Spine realignment surgery restores balance and quality of life.

Traditionally, spondylolisthesis was treated with arthrodesis in situ, often combined with autologous bone grafts. However, this approach had a significant failure rate, with about 20% of patients experiencing arthrodesis consolidation failure. Those with severe slippage (over 50%) were particularly prone to developing kyphotic deformity, necessitating more innovative surgical solutions. Modern surgical techniques focus on not only stabilizing the spine but also correcting the alignment to improve overall function.

The roles of different fixation techniques and vertebral listhesis reduction methods are continuously evolving. While the aesthetic benefits of surgery are noted, the primary goal is to enhance spinal alignment and reduce pain. Segmental fusions, which involve fusing specific segments of the spine, aim to correct slippage angles and improve sagittal alignment. These techniques also minimize the risk of radicular lesions, a common concern with posterior approaches.

Posterior Approach: This involves accessing the spine from the back to reduce and fix the listhesis.
Anterior Approach: Often used in conjunction with the posterior approach, this involves accessing the spine from the front to reconstruct the anterior spine.
Intervertebral Cages: These are used to restore disc height and provide rigidity to the treated segment. Made from materials like titanium, they support fusion and proper alignment.

Reconstruction of the anterior spine is a key component in treating spondylolisthesis. While outcomes vary, this approach generally results in fewer nerve lesions. Anterior and posterior intervertebral lumbar fusion helps restore disc height and provides stability. Intervertebral cages support anterior fusion and help recover disc space, although additional procedures may sometimes be necessary to ensure optimal results. This comprehensive approach addresses both the alignment and stability of the spine.

A Path to Improved Quality of Life

Circumferential arthrodesis is a valuable resource for patients with lumbar spondylolisthesis. By modifying lumbar alignment and decreasing the lumbosacral lordosis angle, this procedure changes sagittal pelvic balance and reduces painful symptoms. Improving the balance of the lumbar spine alleviates pain by reducing stress on ligamentous and articular structures, enhancing mobility, and overall quality of life.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1590/s1808-185120161501152836, Alternate LINK

Title: Functional Disability, Sagittal Alignment And Pelvic Balance In Lumbar Spondylolisthesis

Subject: Neurology (clinical)

Journal: Coluna/Columna

Publisher: FapUNIFESP (SciELO)

Authors: Luis Muñiz Luna, Hugo Vilchis Sámano, Marcos Marban Heredia, Enrique Salcedo Oviedo, Juvenal Ordaz, Ana María Morales, Jorge Salvador De La Cruz Álvarez, José Antonio Canales Nájera, Yadira Bahena Salgado, Edgar Negrete-Mundo

Published: 2016-03-01

Everything You Need To Know

What is the primary goal of spinal alignment surgery for lumbar spondylolisthesis, and how does it differ from earlier approaches?

The primary goal of spinal alignment surgery for lumbar spondylolisthesis is to enhance spinal alignment, reduce pain, and improve overall function. Unlike earlier arthrodesis in situ approaches, which had a significant failure rate, modern surgical techniques not only stabilize the spine but also correct the alignment. These modern techniques often involve segmental fusions to correct slippage angles and improve sagittal alignment, minimizing the risk of radicular lesions. The evolution of fixation techniques and vertebral listhesis reduction methods plays a crucial role in achieving these improved outcomes. The aesthetic benefits are considered, the functional restoration is the focus.

How does spondylolisthesis disrupt the body's natural balance, and what mechanisms are affected?

Spondylolisthesis disrupts the body's natural balance by causing one vertebra to slip over another, interfering with the compensatory mechanisms that maintain sagittal balance. These mechanisms include the lumbar lordosis, which is the inward curve of the lower back, and the sagittal rotation of the pelvis around the hip axis. When spondylolisthesis occurs, it can lead to pain, discomfort, and reduced mobility due to the misalignment and increased muscular effort required to maintain an upright posture. Surgical interventions aim to correct these deformities and restore spinal stability by addressing the misaligned vertebrae.

What are intervertebral cages, and what role do they play in the surgical treatment of spondylolisthesis?

Intervertebral cages are devices used to restore disc height and provide rigidity to the treated segment during spinal alignment surgery for spondylolisthesis. Made from materials like titanium, these cages support fusion and proper alignment of the vertebrae. They are typically used in anterior and posterior intervertebral lumbar fusion to help recover disc space and provide stability. While intervertebral cages are crucial for restoring disc height and supporting anterior fusion, additional procedures may sometimes be necessary to ensure optimal alignment and stability.

Can you elaborate on how circumferential arthrodesis contributes to improving the quality of life for patients with lumbar spondylolisthesis?

Circumferential arthrodesis improves the quality of life for patients with lumbar spondylolisthesis by modifying lumbar alignment and decreasing the lumbosacral lordosis angle, which changes sagittal pelvic balance and reduces painful symptoms. By improving the balance of the lumbar spine, this procedure alleviates pain by reducing stress on ligamentous and articular structures. The restoration of proper alignment enhances mobility and overall quality of life. This comprehensive approach addresses both the alignment and stability of the spine, leading to significant improvements in patient well-being.

What are the posterior and anterior approaches in spinal alignment surgery for spondylolisthesis, and what are their respective benefits and considerations?

The posterior approach involves accessing the spine from the back to reduce and fix the listhesis, while the anterior approach involves accessing the spine from the front to reconstruct the anterior spine, and is often used in conjunction with the posterior approach. The posterior approach allows for direct reduction and fixation of the listhesis, while the anterior approach is beneficial for reconstructing the anterior spine and restoring disc height. Anterior approach generally results in fewer nerve lesions. Both approaches aim to stabilize the spine and improve alignment, and the choice between them or the decision to use them in combination depends on the specific characteristics of the spondylolisthesis and the patient's overall condition.