Sometimes the various names for different back conditions can cause a patient confusion. This applies to three common terms used in diagnosing spinal pain problems: spondylolisthesis, spondylitis and spondylosis. Although the three sound very similar, they are actually quite different, and they require different approaches to treatment.
To make matters more confusing, they can sometimes all be present in the same patient. It helps to understand the word roots of these medical terms to fully grasp what is meant by each condition.
The words are based on the Greek root word “sphondylos” which means vertebra, and thus, each word has to do with some dysfunction of the vertebra. The suffix “-oliothesis” means slipping or dislocation, and spondylolisthesis is the slipping of one vertebra over another. The suffix “-osis” means that a disease state is present, and spondylosis is mainly describing arthritic changes to the vertebrae. Finally, “-itis” means that inflammation is present, and spondylitis describes an inflammation that affects the vertebrae.
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