Causes Spondylolisthesis has a number of causes. Some of the more common are as follows. This type is more commonly seen in men and in about half of cases, there will is no slip. This type may be seen on 5 to 20 percent of lumbar spine x-rays. This is more commonly seen in women.
Symptoms usually occur during the growth spurt.
It accounts for 14 to 21 percent of all spondylolisthesis cases. In these cases there is usually no defect in the pars interarticularis. A third type of spondylolisthesis is degenerative spondylolisthesis. This type is much more common in women and often occurs after forty years of age. Degenerative spondylolisthesis is usually a result of long-standing instability, most commonly at the junction of the fourth and fifth lumbar vertebrae.