Slipped vertebra (Spondylolisthesis).

Chronic back pain is often caused by a slipped vertebra

Chronic, deep low back pain is one of the most common clinical pictures seen in the human population. The causes for this can be diverse and are often associated with changes to the bony structures in the vertebrae, the discs and the ligaments. One of these causes is a slipped vertebra, something that is present in 6% of the population.

What is meant by a slipped vertebra?

The term "slipped vertebra" is used when two vertebral bodies are displaced and tilted in relation to one another. The backwards displacement of the upper vertebra on the underlying vertebra is called a retrolisthesis. An anterolisthesis, more commonly known as a spondylolisthesis, is the forwards displacement. The sideways displacement and rotation of a vertebra is called a rotary spondylolisthesis. Slipped vertebrae are further differentiated into congenital slipped vertebrae where a so-called spondylolysis, i.e., a defect between the joint surfaces in the vertebra´s bony ring (so-called interarticular position), is present. This gap between the two vertebral joints can cause a vertebra to slip. This slippage causes the forward displacement of the front part of the vertebra (vertebral body), the bases of the bony ring, the transverse processes and the upper joint processes. In contrast, degenerative changes to an intact bony ring (interarticular region) caused by wear and tear are often associated with arthritis in the vertebral joints and lax ligaments.

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