Spondylolistesis
The vertebrae that make up our spine are arranged in an order on each other. Normally, the front and rear edges of the vertebrae are aligned with the edges of a lower and upper vertebrae. The vertebrae are connected to each other with the help of facet joints on the back. Many bond structures that increase the durability of this sequence also form a bridge between the bones. In the disease known as waist shift, one vertebrae usually changes forward above the other. As a result of this shift, our spinal marrow passing through the spine is trapped and complaints such as pain, drowsiness and burning occur in both legs.
Five types of waist shift types are available. The most encountered of these; The shifts due to degeneration seen in old age, postoperative shifts and shifts due to congenital problems in the vertebrae in childhood.
Approximately 5 % of the people can be a developmental fracture in the bone part (facet joints) that combines the upper and lower joints of the vertebrae at the bottom of the lumbar region. These fractures are called “spondylolisis”. Fractures caused by this region is very active may not heal often. However, these fractures often cause pain in adolescent times, but may not cause serious problems in adult ages. In some patients, the upper vertebrae may shift forward according to the lower spine due to fracture.
This is called “waist shift” or “spondylolistezis”. Spondylolistezis can cause more serious problems depending on the amount of slip. Waist shifts, which are due to this type of fracture, are called “istmic spondylolistezis” in medical language.
Another type of waist shift is the waist shift seen in the spine and its surrounding connective tissues caused by aging. This problem, which usually occurs over 40 years of age, is called “degenerative spondylolisthesis. Degenerative waist shifts are mostly accompanied by narrow canal.
The first complaint in the waist shift is low back pain. The pain can monitor complaints of numbness in the legs, muscle tension, weakness, increase in waist slope or difficulty in walking. Although these complaints are temporarily relieved by rest, it is usually observed to increase in pain with standing, walking and other activities.
Stress fractures (spondylolisis) may not always give clinical symptoms. Sometimes it may occur by chance in the waist films taken for other reasons. If the pathology becomes symptomatic, the first complaint is usually pain in the lumbar area. Waist shifts may not give symptoms even after years of slipping. Symptoms of waist and hip pain; In numbness, pain, muscle tension, weakness, waist slope or difficulty in walking. Although there is a temporary relief with rest in these symptoms, the pain of usually increases with standing, walking and other activities.
Low shift is detected in 10 percent of those who go to the doctor due to low back pain. It is more common in women than men. Waist shift may occur due to congenital anatomical spine sequence disorders or problems during birth. Such waist shifts may come across with low back pain in adolescence. In the elderly, waist shifts are usually more common after the age of 40. Degenerative spondylolistesis is called degenerative spondylolisthesis due to various reasons due to aging.
SYMPTOMS OF SPONDYLOLISTESIS
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Sometimes there may be no symptoms in those with waist shifts. The pains of the pain increases by leaning forward and decreases while leaning back
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Increasing low back pain and numbness in the legs
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Cramps formed in the legs in the evening, difficulty movement
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Reduction of strength in the legs
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High sensitivity in the spine region
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