Lumbar Injuries of the Pediatric Population

Spondylolysis is an important cause of low back pain (LBP) in adolescents. Although there is no gold standard for imaging, MRI is growing as the acceptable imaging modality in the pediatric patients due to the low ionizing radiation factor and abilities to detect soft tissue abnormalities and detect early stress reaction within the pars intarticularis. Treatment should include complete rest, physical therapy (once pain-free), and a slow return to play (once asymptomatic).