Spondylolisthesis

“Spondylo” means spine in Greek. “Listhesis” means slip. Spondylolisthesis is literally a slippage of one spinal bone on another. This most commonly occurs in the lumbar (low back) spine but can occur in others areas. Spondylolisthesis causes spinal stenosis and sciatica. Patients with spondylolisthesis complain of leg pain, back pain and difficulty walking long distances. It is treated with physical therapy, injections and surgery. Surgery for spondylolisthesis has shown to be the best option. This requires fusing one bone to another with rods and screws. Long-term outcomes for surgery are superior to non-surgical options.