What is Degenerative Spondylolisthesis?
Spinal deformities are a lot more common than you might think. Degenerative spondylolisthesis is a spinal deformity, in which an individual is suffering from a misalignment in their vertebrae.
Degenerative spondylolisthesis is most often seen in older patients, considering that it occurs from years of wear and tear or degeneration caused by years of stress. Older patients are far more likely to suffer from a condition like arthritis in the facet joints. When this occurs, the discs and their respective vertebrae will sometimes begin to slip out of place – leading to overall spinal instability.
Symptoms
Because degenerative spondylolisthesis tends to cause a lot of spinal compression, the symptoms are similar to those of Lumbar Radiculopathy & Sciatica, the symptoms include:
Causes
Degenerative spondylolisthesis has quite a few different causes, in rare instances patients may even experience damaged vertebrae from birth.
Otherwise, there are two common reasons for such a breakdown of vertebrae, either some form of accident or severe trauma, and due to the overall stress and wear and tear associated with aging. Considering this, spondylolisthesis is found in a lot of athletes, in all types of sports, from sudden impact sports like football to progressive stress sports like gymnastics.
Treatment
Non-Surgical Options
The majority of patients do not require surgery and are better off using less invasive treatment measures.
- Physical Therapy
- Medication – Anti-Inflammatory Drugs and pain relievers.
- Spinal Injections – Corticosteroids and epidural injections.
Surgical Options
When the pain symptoms become severe enough or less invasive measures do not work, surgery might become necessary. Surgery can include:
Dr. Varma will provide a more specific opinion and diagnosis during your consultation.
- Decompression Surgery – In the lumbar spine, such as a laminectomy or laminotomy.
- Spinal Fusion – In order to stabilize the spine - Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion, Posterior Lumbar Fusion, Lateral Lumbar Fusion.
