Spondylolisthesis

Spondylolisthesis refers to slippage of one vertebra on another. It can be a sign of instability in the spine, and it can have many causes, some congenital, some that develop over time. Symptoms can include neck pain or back pain as well as compression of nearby nerve roots or the spinal cord. Surgical treatment may require a spinal fusion using a technique such as an ACDF, OLIF, ALIF, or TLIF, depending on the level of the slippage.

Below is an example of spondylolisthesis in the lumbar spine. The L5 vertebra has slipped forward (red arrows) on the sacrum (S1) and is not in alignment with the normal contour of the lumbar spine (yellow line). This resulted in back pain and compression of the nerves traveling down to the legs. To fix this, I performed a fusion and pulled the L5 vertebra back into alignment.

If you live near Denver and have spondylolisthesis or chronic neck pain or back pain, please consider meeting me in consultation to learn about treatment options.