Healio reporters on new research from HSS suggesting  that robotic-assisted pars repair may be a safe and effective surgical option for adolescent athletes with symptomatic spondylolysis who do not improve with nonoperative care. In a review of nine adolescent patients treated with a single‑screw robotic technique, most returned to their previous or an even higher level of sport within a year. Fusion was confirmed in the subset of patients who received a CT scan at the one‑year follow‑up, further supporting the procedure’s potential for durable healing.

“We have now, in the last several years, been increasingly offering [robotic-assisted pars repair] to our patients,” Sheeraz Qureshi, MD, MBA, co-chief of HSS Spine, said. “It does not mean we jump the first nonsurgical treatment because some people do get better with that, but we have now increasingly been doing this.”

Dr. Qureshi and colleagues reviewed nine adolescent athletes who underwent single‑screw robotic-assisted pars repair and followed them for one year. Most returned to the same or higher level of sport, and CT scans in several patients confirmed fusion. Because some young patients who fail nonoperative treatment eventually develop stenosis or nerve issues requiring fusion, Dr. Qureshi noted that future research will explore whether early robotic-assisted repair can help prevent progression to spondylolisthesis.

Read the full article at healio.com.