Microbiology of the pars interarticularis in patients undergoing lumbar fusion surgery for chronic back pain and isthmic spondylolisthesis.

This study aims to investigate whether an underlying subacute infection at the pars defect is a possible cause of pain in patients requiring lumbar spinal fusion surgery. The study will perform microbiological analysis of the bone, ligamentous, muscle and disc tissue at/adjacent to the pars defect, taken from normally discarded material intraoperatively. The presence of infection will be determined by positive bacterial culture from these sites and results analysed for statistical significance. Detection of bacteria would support an infectious rationale, as a source of back pain, in this population. This research endeavors to clarify the source of back pain in isthmic spondylolithesis patients the search for suitable, reliable and reproducible conservative treatments.