We analyzed the follow-up results of lumbago in 26 patients who had undergone posterior decompression alone for degenerative sondylolisthesis. The average age at operation was 65 years, and the average follow-up duration was 6 years and 6 months. The lumbago improved well and the JOA score recovered from 1.77 to 2.42. There was no difference in the lumbago between the group with instability or postoperative increase in slipping and the group without these changes. These results suggest that posterior decompression as wide as lateral recesses with preservation of the articular processes dose not require routine spinal fusion for lumbago, and produces satisfactory improvement.
