Imaging and Treatment Guidelines for Bilateral L5 Pars Defect

Diagnostic Imaging

• The American College of Radiology recommends using CT scans to assess the fracture stage, as this determines the treatment approach, with CT having superior sensitivity for detecting non-displaced pars fractures compared to plain radiographs 1
• MRI is complementary to CT scans to identify bone marrow edema indicating acute stress injury without complete lysis, according to the American College of Radiology 1
• Plain radiographs with oblique views can visualize established defects but may miss early stress reactions, as noted by the American College of Radiology 1

Treatment Candidacy

• The American College of Radiology suggests that radiographic confirmation of pars defect on CT/MRI is a criterion for surgical candidacy 1