Who, Why, What, Where, and When?
Etiology
Who Does it Affect?
Spondylolysis isn't specific to any population. It's true that it more commonly occurs in athletes under the age of 26 who participate in sports such as football, gymnastics, and weightlifting, as well as others. The injury also has been common in geriatric patients suffering from an array of lower back issues mostly caused by degeneration of the discs and vertebrae.
Why?
Athletes who participate in the sports listed above as well as geriatric patients are at higher risk for Spondylolysis for a few reasons. These reasons may include any of the following:
10 Objectives
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Signs and Symptoms
What and Where Exactly is this Happening?
The constant hyperextension position of these athletes puts extreme stress on the lumbar spine. This stress, as well as a possible muscle imbalance can cause a fracture to occur at the pars interarticularis region of the lumbar vertebrae. The pars interarticularis, or pars for short, is the region between the superior and inferior articular processes of the facet joint. A fracture in this area offsets the facet joints causing an increase pressure on the two affected vertebrae. This pressure overtime, if not treated, may cause translation of the vertebrae and is likely to put stress on the spinal cord and/or surrounding nerves.
When/ Return To Play
The most common asked question among athletes suffering from any condition or injury is "when can I get back to playing?". This is a rather difficult question for anyone to be sure of, seeing as everyone's body is different and the length of times for recovery vary. The athlete should also have also obtained the 10 objectives that are discussed below. Below are also some of the criteria a healthcare provider may be looking for when considering returning an athlete to a sport following spondylolisthesis.
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Short/Long Term Goals
Short Term
Being that the injured area is an extremely sensitive region, surrounded with numerous nerves as well as the spinal cord, it is vital to take extreme caution when making both short term and long term goals. Both sets of goals will be based upon the 10 objectives of rehabilitation, and will progress as the patient progresses through them.
Short term goals are mainly going to involve pain control, gaining comfort, as well as gradually increasing range of motion. Listed below are desired short term goals for a athlete/patient suffering from Spondylolysis.
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Long Term
Again, caution should be taken when setting long term goals. Long term goals may change depending on the results coming back from the short term goals. Naturally they will be set higher. These goals may include:
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References on Page (In order)
Bobbie, Ryan. “Exercises for a Healthy Back.” 12 Apr. 2009. Web. 23 Apr. 2013.
Eck, Jason. “Spondylolisthesis Symptoms, Causes, Treatment - What Are the Symptoms of Spondylolisthesis? on MedicineNet.” Web. 23 Apr. 2013.
“Spondylolysis and Spondylolisthesis -OrthoInfo - AAOS.” Web. 23 Apr. 2013.
Eck, Jason. “Spondylolisthesis Symptoms, Causes, Treatment - What Are the Symptoms of Spondylolisthesis? on MedicineNet.” Web. 23 Apr. 2013.
“Spondylolysis and Spondylolisthesis -OrthoInfo - AAOS.” Web. 23 Apr. 2013.