Evaluation of Neural Tension at the Time of Spondylolisthesis Reduction
Figure 5:
Testing apparatus utilized by Petraco et al. (From [14])
Figure 6:
L5 root length versus percent Spondylolisthesis. Note that L5 root lengthening
is more pronounced during the last portion of the reduction. (From [14])

Figure 7:
L5 root strain versus percent Spondylolisthesis. (From [14])
Kleihues and Albrecht performed separate cadaveric studies with a Spondylolisthesis model and found probable compression of the L5 roots under the lumbosacral ligament [8]. They found that reduction of more than 22 mm was highly likely to produce severe compression of the L5 root under the lumbosacral ligament. In this paper, Kleihues concluded: ”Therefore, we think that the periostatic adhesion of the L5 nerve root (under the lumbosacral ligament) is of major pathophysiologic relevance.“
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