What is a Spondylolisthesis?
Spondylolisthesis refers a slipped spinal bone (vertebra) which has gone forward as compared to the spinal bone (vertebra) just below it. There are multiple causes of spondylolisthesis. One common cause is degeneration where the slipped of the bone occurs due to ageing (degenerative spondylolisthesis). Sometimes, there is a crack in the bone (or a defect in the bone) which is called a pars defect or spondylolysis. This is called spondylolytic spondylolisthesis.
Symptoms of spondylolisthesis:
- Low back pain
- Pain, tingling, burning or numbness of the legs
- Tingling or numbness of the feet
- Weakness of the legs
- Numbness of the anus region (may be an emergency)
- Inability to pass or control urine (may be an emergency)
Types of treatment:
- Physiotherapy
- Medications
- Injections
- Keyhole, minimally-invasive decompression surgery
- Keyhole, minimally-invasive surgery decompression and fusion (TLIF)
