Risk of Reinjuring a Spondylolisthesis

Back pain is a common complaint of people in the United States, particularly in work environments where bending, twisting, and lifting is required. Often back pain is caused by strain on muscles or poor posture, but sometimes it is the result of spondylolisthesis injuries. What exactly is this condition, and what risk factors increase the odds of having it happen multiple times?

Function

• Spondylolisthesis is better known as a slipped vertebra. Normally, vertebra sit on top of each other, separated only by a disc of gel-like fluid. Sometimes a vertebra will slip out of its normal position due a physical problem at birth, repetitive motions, or a trauma. Although it can occur anywhere in the spine, it's much more common to have it occur in the lumbar, or lower area, of the spine. About 5 percent of men and 3 percent of women have spondylolisthesis, and of those cases, most are nonprogressive and therefore don't need any treatment.

Cause

• For spondylolithesis that is caused by repetitive actions, the risk of reinjury increases if the repetitive action is not stopped. Doing the same activities puts strain on the vertebrae of the back in the exact same places over and over again; injury will occur where the most pressure is exerted and where discs already are weak. Stopping the activity decreases the odds that the same area will receive strain.

  For spondylolithesis caused by a one time trauma, the odds of reinjuring the spondylolithesis tend to be lower because the odds of putting the exact same strain and pressure on the area in the same way aren't as high, but precautions still should be taken to avoid activities that put a lot of strain on the injured area.

Risks

• Certain actions can increase the risk of reinjuring a spondylolithesis. You should avoid activities such as football or gymnastics, diving, or lifting. These activities put enormous amount of strain on the back or put you at risk for a sudden trauma to the spine.

Prevention

• A brace can lower the risk of spondylolithesis reinjury. A brace assists with this condition by keeping the back less mobile until the spondylolithesis heals and bearing some of the force of the impact that normally would go to the spine. It also decreases the risk of reinjury by assisting with posture so that the spondylolithesis can heal in the proper position.

Surgery

• If your spondylolithesis is severe enough to warrant surgical treatment, a successful surgery means that the slipped vertebrae can be positioned precisely where it needs to be so that a repeated slip of the vertebrae is lessened. Precautions also can be taken during surgery, such as the insertion of rods that stabilize the vertebrae, so that the area of the spine is stronger and therefore less likely to be injured again. If the vertebrae are surgically fused together, then the odds of the vertebrae slipping are even lower.