Spondylolisthesis is a spinal condition that causes lower back pain, much similar to spondylolysis. It occurs when one of your vertebrae slips out of place onto the vertebra below it. Typically, nonsurgical treatment can relieve your symptoms, but if you’re suffering from severe spondylolisthesis, surgery is successful in most cases.
Common types of spondylolisthesis include:
- Congenital spondylolisthesis occurs when a baby’s spine doesn’t form correctly before birth. The misaligned vertebrae puts the infant at risk for slipped discs later on in life.
- Isthmic spondylolisthesis happens as a result of spondylolysis, with the crack or fracture of the pars interarticularis weakening the bone.
- Degenerative spondylolisthesis, the most common type, comes with aging. Over time, the disks that cushion the vertebrae lose water and thin out, increasing the likelihood of the disks slipping out of place.
