Scoliosis / Spondylolisthesis relationship?

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Could Scoliosis cause Spondylolisthesis over time? My spondy is near the tailbone and the scoliosis just above it. What do you think?
 
That's an extremely hard question. I'm not aware of any studies that show this. However, saying that - if you look at how the body functions - scoliosis obviously puts alot more stress into the spine that would otherwise be present. This could make having a spondylo occur more common or easier.
 
I was told by my Pediatric Ortho that 2-3% of people with Scoliosis who have a 40 Degree curve or more will develop Spondy. That doesn't mean that Scoliosis causes Spondy - it could be coincidence, or perhaps whatever 'caused' the scoliosis (like back trauma) is also causing the Spondy. All the same, I've heard from ALL my Ortho doctors that there IS a correlation.

You best bet is to ask your doctor - ever patient is different.

Best of luck dealing with your Spondy and Scoliosis - it's not fun, but it is doable.

Take care!
 
Hi,
I don't know what the stats are on this but I have a mild scoliosis and after herniating two discs playing "Superwoman" this past summer, I found that I had spondylolithesis of L4 on L5. I have had lurabar spine issues off and on for probably 20 years and had numerous xrays and was told that I had a mild scoliosis. Never was told I had spondy until after the discs blew out. I would think it would make you more prone to spondy just from looking at my films. Just be careful out there folks.....know your limits.....I got reminded of mine in a big way over the last six months!!
Jan.
 
Thanks for the great answers. I was told that the instability of my jaw was the root cause of my scoliosis. The spondy is located just below this area so I would think that it's possible for this jaw instability to work it's way down the spine. I was told that spondy is always congenital but in my case it may not be. If there is a relationship between the jaw and the scoliosis and a relationship between the scoliosis and the spondy it could all be related. It would seem logical. Does spondy get worse over time? Could you still be at a Stage 1 as you age or is always progresive?:dizzy:
 
There are 5 grades to a spondylolisthesis - Grade I hasn't moved much.
GradeII - moves 25% of the vertebral body length
GradeIII - moves 50%
Grade IV - moves 75%
Grade V actually falls off of the bone below it and is very bad.

So yes - they can get worse. However - they do not have to get worse. They can stay at stage 1 for the rest of your life. You will have to manage it well to do this, but it's very doable.

Also - there are multiple versions of spondy - only 1 is congenital.

This is copy/pasted from scoliosisassociates website because it was the first website to come up with my google results :)

"There are six types of spondylolisthesis based on the cause of the slip. These include dysplastic or congenital type caused by an abnormality of the joints of the spine. Isthmic type is a result of a fracture through a portion of the vertebra called the pars interarticularis that allows for slippage to occur in some patients. The fracture is termed spondylolysis. A third and very common type in the adult patient is degenerative spondylolisthesis that most commonly occurs at the L4-5 level and is a result of degenerative disc disease and arthritis of the joints of the spine that is usually accompanied by spinal stenosis or narrowing of the spinal canal. This generally causes back pain and limitations in walking ability. The first two types of spondylolisthesis (dysplastic and isthmic) often present in childhood and are localized most often to the L5-S1 level or lowest joint of the spine. Another form of spondylolisthesis is traumatic, resulting from fracture of a portion of the vertebra other than the pars interarticularis. Pathologic type is a result of tumor or infection eroding the spine and again causing instability leading to slippage. A final category of spondylolisthesis is termed iatrogenic. This occurs in patients who have had extensive laminectomy or decompression of the spine resulting in instability. "
 
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