Question: Hi, my daughter is a 13 almost 14 year old gymnast. She had lower back pain and X-ray showed nothing. However, an MRI showed marrow edema by the L5 along the pedicle and pars and no fracture. A CT scan confirmed no fracture at the site. She went to 3 different doctors and was told 3 different things. The first sports medicine doctor didn't think it was anything much since she passed all the usuall test for spondylolysis and said a few weeks of rest and she was good to go. The second doctor who actually did the MRI, the first only did Xray, said stay out of the gym for one month. Well, being extremely high level and competition season around the corner, I tried one more through a referral to see if there was anything she could still do. The doctor gave her a soft brace and had her in the gym but she must wear the brace while performing skills. So far she hasn't been wearing it as much as she should, however, with the skills she is doing, she has no pain at all. Everything on the internet points to active spondylolysis and being braced for 3 months. I am very confused and wonder if she has no pain is it ok to proceed with what she is doing.

Thank you. The X-ray was done in the way you mentioned to my understanding. It showed nothing, as did ct scan.

The MRI report mentioned retrolisthesis but the three doctors who reviewed it didn't even address it.

Here's the exact wording:
the first axial T2 image defines the mid-body of L1. On the sagital images, now significant dic desiccation or loss of intervertebral disc height. retrolisthesis of L5 on S1. Bone marrow signal normal. The conus medullaris terminates at a normal anatomic level.

There is no high grade central canal narrowing or disc herniation on sagittal images through the visualized lower thoracic spine.

At L1-L2, L2-L3, L3-L4, L4-L5 no significant spondyloarthoropathy.

At L5-S1 bone marrow edema present along right pedicle and pars. Central canal and neural forman preserved.

Again, not one of the three doctors even mentioned the retrolisthesis after looking at the mri, only mentioned in report.

Does this changes things?

Thanks