Deformity

Spondylolisthesis

Signs and Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment

Signs and Symptoms

Spondylolisthesis is a condition in which one vertebra slips forward on the one below it. In children, spondylolisthesis may occur as the result of a birth defect that affects the back of the spine or be caused by stress fractures within the back part of the spine. Spondylolisthesis is the most common cause of low back pain in adolescent athletes. In older people, the most common cause is degeneration of the discs between the vertebrae. With aging, the discs lose moisture, dry out and flatten, bringing the bones on either side closer together to the point where one slips forward on the other.

Typical symptoms of spondylolisthesis include pain across the lower back and legs, which occurs when the slipped vertebra irritates the nerves around it. However, a person can have the condition and not have pain.

Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Medical Center.
Last updated May 8, 2007