Spondylolysis is a defect or fracture of one or both of the wing-shaped parts of a vertebra. These "wings" help keep the vertebrae in place. When a "wing" is absent, defective from birth, or damaged, a vertebra can slide forward or backward over the bone below, sometimes pressing on the spinal cord or a nerve root.
This slipping, called spondylolisthesis, usually happens at the base of the spine. Symptoms of spondylolisthesis can include back pain and numbness or weakness in one or both legs, sometimes leading to a loss of leg function.
Providence Spine Services brings together a host of expert physicians, experienced nurses and highly skilled therapists to provide complete back and spine care to people who have back pain or who have suffered a back injury.
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