Some physicians have asked why the Guides 3rd edition, Table 75, treats spondylolisthesis separately from other bony or soft tissue back problems, but in the 4th edition, the injury model of spinal impairment rating ignores the spondylolisthesis and rates just the severity of the injury. The Guides 4th edition says,
This study, from Sweden's Karolinska University published in March 2000, compared the symptoms, pain drawings, disability, and examinations of 111 consecutive patients about to undergo spine fusion for spondylolisthesis with 39 patients about to undergo spine fusion for chronic nonspecific back pain. All patients had had at least 1 year of back and/or leg pain that had severely restricted functional activity. The study found that the two groups’ symptoms and examination findings to be identical. Thus, there was no way to distinguish between these diagnostic groups other than...
