South Korean degenerative spondylolisthesis patients had surgical treatment at earlier age than Japanese, American, and European patients: a published literature observation

The epidemiology of lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS) has been controversial. We recently performed a systemic review with the aim to have a better understanding of DS’s prevalence in general population. The results showed the prevalence of DS is very gender specific and age specific (1). Both women and men have few DS before 50 years old, after 50 years old both women and men start to develop DS, with women having a faster developing rate than men. For elderly Chinese (mean age, 72.5 years), DS prevalence is around 25.0% for women and 19.1% for men, and the prevalence women:men ratio is 1.3:1. Elderly Caucasian American may have a higher DS prevalence, being approximately 60–70% higher than elderly Chinese; however the prevalence women:men ratio was similar to elderly Chinese population (1).