Hereditary Spondylolisthesis and Spina Bifida

A family study is presented in which spondylolisthesis and spina bifida of the fifth lumbar vertebra and the sacrum were found in five of six surviving members of three generations. Although a high family incidence is common in this disorder, most prior reports have suggested a recessive mode of transmission. In the family described in this report the lesion was clearly transmitted as an autosomal dominant.