Hi Brattigans.
Your case sounds just like mine. Spondy (2mm slippage of L5 vertebra over S1) at L5/S1 and DDD at L4/L5, maybe L3/L4. Is your fracture a vertebral fracture or at a different location?? Mine is a "pars defect", unilateral just on my left side.
My chiropractor said it would have been better if i had a defect on both
I asked why, he said the symptoms usually are more difficult to deal with than those with both sides fractured, STRANGE.
How much is your disc slippage? I've read that those with JUST spondy and no fractures can still receive an ADR if the slippage isn't greater than 3.0-3.5mm....If you have a fracture at one level, you will NOT be a candidate for an ADR at the fractured level. This is due to an already unstable location in your spine. It sucks but i can understand the reasoning behind it. If you're unstable at a location, your pain can be partly, (maybe mostly) bio-mechanical and less nerve-related.
My MRI showed no nerve entrapments or stenosis. at any level...i can beg to differ, as i've suffered sciatic-symptoms and pain in my leg, butt and hips way too much. Laying down on an MRI table is a bit different than standing up with load bearing. Maybe we can compare some notes, what was the results of your MRI? Any nerve problems it could see?
Since this happened when i was heavily running and lifting weights and basketball, my doc theorized that i've had Spondy and this Pars defect since i was a kid, and it's held up all this time until now, and i've reinjured it. It will NEVER heal, cuz it will have to be immobilized the entire time, not possible.
There is a "Pars defect repair surgery", but it would only be done if you're young, with NO disc slippage and no DDD. The reason is, the success rate of it to heal solid again in adults is not satisfactory....Fusion is the recommended treatment as its a solid fuse(hopefully), and thus should do a better job stabilizing that location. It's unfortunate i know, but if it takes care of the major cause of pain, it would be worth it.
I had a recommendation of fusion at L5/S1 and ADR at L4/L5...and a 2-level fusion. I'm 37 years old, I will NOT fuse 2 levels if i can't help it. Now the choice is go for Prodisc here in the States, and risk NOT getting reimbursed, OR go overseas and pay a ton of money for the M6, and most likely NOT get reimbursed. Tough decisions that affect the rest of your life.
Conclusion --- I know you didn't want to hear fusion, but if it stabilizes your low back and keeps things from going out of whack, that would be a better option than even ADR, which would preserve motion, but do nothing for what the bio-mechanical stresses of an unstable spine can do when your body is constantly searching for balance. Even with an ADR, you can problems bio-mechanically if it is poorly placed. Placement is critical with ADR, even more so with the Prodisc vs. the M6. We have similar cases so your not alone here.