There is a condition of the spine that exists and it is called Spondylolisthesis. It is when a vertebra is moved more forward that the one below. If a level is more back it is called retrolesthesis, but for now we will focus on the first case. In order to be classified as this there has to be significant slippage of the vertebrae. This is an odd thing to see on an MRI scan or an X-ray because from the looks of it the person that has it should be in the most severe pain ever, or even not be able to walk. The body is very resilient and can adapt too many things. Some people are born with this condition and do not find out until later in life. They can live out their whole child hood and early adult years and not even know about it, or they can know at a very young age because they have pain and are not able to do everything that they want to do.
There are different grades to this, and the grades go from one to four, as four is the most serious. If it is a level four and let’s say at the lumbar level L2 then the spinal cord can become quite compressed. The bone can be moved so far forward that the cord has no choice but to go along with it. This can also put much stress above and below the affected level. It basically creates a poor scenario for a proper functioning spine.
It can be caused by a few things. The first cause can be from missing pars interarticularis; these are the parts of the vertebrae that connect the body of the bone to the posterior arch of the vertebrae. This is known as spondylolysis because there it is missing. It happens when a child is developing and is known as congenital. The next way it can happen is if there is an injury where something gets broken and the bones are in some way shape or form compromised. Any way you look at it there is just not much positive to this condition. There is something that you will want to focus on here and that is making the area more stable. Thinking of this as tightening up the ligaments is the correct way to think. It would not be a wise thing to get something such as cortisone shots that can work to tear down the ligament tissues and make the area more likely to move more forward and cause more pain. Depending on the grade that someone has plays a large part into the type of treatment that is needed.
