BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Instability of the lumbar spine is one of the major causes of back pain and is considered as a subtype of non-specific lower back pain. Spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis due to this instability could lead to back pain. This systematic study aimed to review the published articles on the incidence of spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis.

METHODS: In this study, we searched for English articles in databases of PubMed, Scopus, Elsevier, Ovid, CINAHL and ScienceDirect using key words such as spondylolisthesis, spondylolysis, prevalence, incidence, predisposing factors and epidemiology from 2000 to 2014. In addition, we searched in other databases including SID, IranMedex, Magiran and Medlib for the Iranian articles published during this period. 

FINDINGS: In total, 26 articles with dissimilar size and types of samples focusing on different spinal regions and variables were selected for this study. To assess the prevalence of spondylolisthesis and spondylolysis, 17 articles used plain radiography, seven articles used CT-scan and two articles used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Moreover, the prevalence of these disorders was investigated among children and athletes in four and five articles, respectively. With the exception of three articles on the incidence of cervical spondylolisthesis, other articles evaluated lumbar spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis. The total prevalence of spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis was estimated between 3-10% and 2-6%, respectively.

CNCLUSION: According to the results of this review, spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis have a high prevalence in different populations. These disorders are more common among athletes and physically active individuals, and the incidence rate is higher among children with osteogenesis imperfecta compared to normal children.