Spondylolisthesis
Spondylolisthesis is a condition where one vertebra slips forward relative to the one beneath it, most commonly in the lower lumbar spine.
When to get help quickly: Urgent review is important with new severe weakness, saddle numbness, or bladder or bowel changes — possible cauda equina signs.
Common symptoms
Lower back pain, sometimes with leg pain or numbness, that may worsen with standing, walking, or back extension; in severe slips, weakness or changes in bladder or bowel function.
When imaging helps
Imaging shows which level has slipped, how much, whether nerve roots are being compressed, and whether a pars defect or arthritis is the underlying cause.
What radiology does
Standing X-rays show the slip; MRI shows nerve involvement; CT clarifies the bony anatomy when surgery is being planned.
What usually happens next
Treatment may include physiotherapy, pain management, activity modification, and surgical stabilisation for severe slips or significant nerve compression.
Seen this on your report?
Your doctor or the radiologist who wrote it can tell you what it means for you.