Spondylolisthesis
Covenant Spine & Neurology is committed to providing the best care and treatment for Spondylolisthesis throughout the Piedmont Triad Metropolitan Area. Dr. Alex Powers and his team are standing by the assist you. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.
Spondylolisthesis is a condition characterized by displacement of one vertebra over the other. Excessive displacement may compress the surrounding spinal nerves or spinal cord and cause pain, weakness, numbness, and/or tingling. Treatment depends on the age, extent of slip, and the severity of symptoms. Surgical correction of a spondylolisthesis can be performed with a variety of lumbar fusions including minimally invasive fusions such as transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) or oblique lateral interbody fusion (OLIF).
Surgery is an option if patients fail conservative treatment including physical therapy, medications, and bracing and the pain continues to be debilitating and is performed under general anesthesia.
Most patients typically stay in the hospital for 1-2 nights following surgery, however some patients do go home the same day for single level lumbar fusion.
What are the types of spondylolisthesis?
There are different types of spondylolisthesis. The more common types include.
- Congenital spondylolisthesis: Congenital means “present at birth.” Congenital spondylolisthesis is the result of abnormal bone formation. In this case, the abnormal arrangement of the vertebrae puts them at greater risk for slipping.
- Isthmic spondylolisthesis: This type occurs as the result of spondylolysis, a condition that leads to small stress fractures (breaks) in the vertebrae. In some cases, the fractures weaken the bone so much that it slips out of place.
- Degenerative spondylolisthesis: This is the most common form of the disorder. With aging, the discs — the cushions between the vertebral bones — lose water, becoming less spongy and less able to resist movement by the vertebrae.
Less common forms of spondylolisthesis include:
- Traumatic spondylolisthesis, in which an injury leads to a spinal fracture or slippage.
- Pathological spondylolisthesis, which happens when the spine is weakened by disease — such as osteoporosis — an infection, or tumor.
- Post-surgical spondylolisthesis, which refers to slippage that occurs or becomes worse after spinal surgery.
What are the symptoms of spondylolisthesis?
Many people with spondylolisthesis have no symptoms and don’t even know they have the condition. When symptoms do occur, low back pain is the most common. The pain usually spreads across the lower back, and might feel like a muscle strain.
Spondylolisthesis can also cause muscle spasms in the hamstring muscles in the back of the thighs. Tight hamstrings can cause the person to walk with short strides and with the knees slightly bent. If the slipped vertebra is pressing on a nerve, pain might spread down the leg to the foot. The foot might also tingle and/or feel numb.
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