spondylolysis

Spondylolysis also known as a pars defect or pars fracture, is a defect or stress fracture in the pars interarticularis of the vertebral arch. The vast majority of cases occur in the lower lumbar vertebrae (L5), but spondylolysis may also occur in the cervical vertebrae.

Key facts

Medical condition (new).name: Spondylolysis
Medical condition (new).image: Spondylolyse 2014 - Annotation.jpg
Medical condition (new).alt: Arrows show break in pars interarticularis at L5. X-Ray of lumbar spine, lateral projection, in an 11-year-old boy
Medical condition (new).caption: Arrows show break in pars interarticularis at L5. X-Ray of lumbar spine, lateral projection, in an 11-year-old boy
Medical condition (new).field: Orthopedics
Medical condition (new).diagnosis: X-ray, CT scan, MRI

via Wikipedia infobox

Research

7,250 papers

Spondylolysis and Isthmic Spondylolisthesis: A Guide to Diagnosis and Management.Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine : JABFM · 2022
Lumbosacral Spondylolysis and Spondylolisthesis.Clinics in sports medicine · 2021
Spondylolysis 2019 update.Current opinion in pediatrics · 2019
Spondylolysis.Physical medicine and rehabilitation clinics of North America · 2000
Cervical spondylolysis.Journal of spinal disorders · 1992

via PubMed

~16 min read

Encyclopedic overview

19 sections

Contents

Signs and symptoms
Cause
Risk factors
Pathophysiology
Diagnosis
X-Ray
Bone scintigraphy
Computed tomography
MRI
Treatment
Conservative management
Deep abdominal co-contraction exercises
Activity restriction
Bracing
Surgery
Implications for rehabilitation
Notable people with spondylolysis
References
External links

==Signs and symptoms== In majority of cases, spondylolysis presents asymptomatically, which can make diagnosis both difficult and incidental. When a patient does present with symptoms, there are general signs and symptoms a clinician will look for: Clinical signs: Pain on completion of the stork test (placed in hyperextension and rotation) Excessive lordotic posture Unilateral tenderness on palpation Visible on diagnostic imaging (Scottie dog fracture) Symptoms: Unilateral low back pain Pain that radiates into the buttocks or legs Onset of pain can be acute or gradual Pain that can restrict daily activities Pain that worsens after strenuous activity Pain aggravated with lumbar hyperextension Difficulty in movement in spinal cord

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “spondylolysis” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.