Spondylolisthesis
What is Spondylolisthesis?
Spondylolisthesis occurs when one vertebra slips forward ontop of the one below. The condition can be a source of back pain, leg pain and other symptoms of nerve compression.
The word comes from 'Spondylo' meaning spine and 'listhesis' meaning slippage
What are the Symptoms
Mild cases of spondylolisthesis usually cause minimal pain. It may even be found by accident when a person has an X-ray of the back for an unrelated reason as around 5% of the population have this condition
When spondylolisthesis do cause pain, you may experience low back pain, stiffness, and muscle spasms. You may also have a sciatica pain that radiates down the legs or even numbness. The leg pain will usually be worse when you stand or walk.
You may also begin to get the symptoms of lumbar stenosis. These include a heavy or weak feeling in the legs that limits how long you can stand or walk. In very severe cases this can begin to impact bladder or bowel sensation or function.
What are the causes?
Spondylolisthesis is most often caused by spondylolysis. The cause of spondylolysis is not as clearly defined. Most believe it is due to a genetic weakness of the pars interarticularis. Both spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis can be present at birth or occur through injury. Repeated stress fractures caused by hyperextension of the back (as in gymnastics and football) and traumatic fractures are also causes. The most common cause in adults is degenerative arthritis