Spondylolisthesis occurs when a vertebrae slides on top of another vertebrae. It can be present at birth or be caused by an injury to the vertebrae. It is cause by a defect in the locking mechanism of the articular processes of the vertebrae. This defect, often a stress fracture or weakening of the bone, occurs in the junction of the pedicle and lamina of the vertebral body. When this joint is weakened it allows separation of the vertebral body, lamina, and inferior articular process from the rest of the vertebrae causing it to “fall” forwards. Athletes who participate in high impact sports are at a higher risk for spondylolisthesis. Males tend to get the disease more often than females, but this may be due to males doing higher impact activities. Although it seems that it would be an adult disease, spondylolisthesis is most common in children between the ages of seven and ten. There is a grading scale that is utilized to tell the amount of disease process. Grade One involves only about one-fourth of the vertebrae that has slipped forward. Grade Two equals fifty percent of the vertebrae is involved, Grade three is seventy-five percent and so on. A Grade five means that the vertebral body has completely slipped forward onto the inferior vertebrae, known as spondyloptosis. Many people with spondylolisthesis do not have any back complaints. Some of the more common symptoms include LBP, increased lordosis of the lumbar spine, pain in the thighs or legs, and differences in posture.

Information for this blog was found at the following websites:

http://www.spineuniverse.com/displayarticle.php/article114.html

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/396016-overview