Letter to the editor concerning "Erector Spinae could be the game changer in surgical decision-making in patients with lumbar spondylolisthesis: a cross-sectional analysis of an age-, sex-, subtype-, level-matched patients with similar spinopelvic parameters received surgical or conservative management" by M.S. Eksi, et al. (Eur Spine J [2024]: doi: 10.1007/s00586-024-08341-3).

The letter responds to a study on the role of erector spinae muscle quality in surgical decision-making for lumbar spondylolisthesis. It highlights the potential of paraspinal muscle fatty infiltration as a predictive factor, suggesting that early rehabilitation targeting these muscles may reduce the need for surgery. The authors propose improvements for future research, such as using advanced MRI techniques for better fat infiltration assessment, controlling patient activity levels, and incorporating multidimensional imaging analyses with machine learning. These advancements could support more personalized treatment strategies for lumbar spondylolisthesis.