Chronic back and leg pain symptoms can be caused by instability in the spine or disc, bone, or ligaments pressing onto nerve roots or the spinal cord. In many cases, these causes of spine problems occur in the thoracolumbar spine–the zone of the spine where eXtreme Lateral Interbody Fusion (XLIF®) procedures are performed. Here’s some important information to know about that zone of the spine.
The thoracolumbar spine is made up of 17 bones, called vertebrae (or vertebral bodies). Twelve vertebrae make up the thoracic (or chest) spine, and five vertebrae make up the lumbar (lower back) spine.
Between each vertebra are discs that provide cushion necessary for spinal rotation and bending. These are called intervertebral discs. Each disc is comprised of two parts–a tough and fibrous outer layer (annulus fibrosis) and a soft, gelatinous center (nucleus pulposus). These two parts work in conjunction to allow the spine to bend, twist, and provide shock absorption.
When people suffer from chronic back or leg pain, it might be linked to one of the primary causes of spine problems:
- Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD). During the natural aging process, the discs between each vertebral body can lose their flexibility, height, and elasticity, which can cause a tear in the tough outer layer of the disc, causing the disc to herniate, bulge or leak the gelatinous core. The bulges or leakages can end up compressing the nerve roots and/or spinal cord, causing symptoms including, but not limited to, lower back and/or leg pain.
- Degenerative Spondylolisthesis. Degenerative spondylolisthesis is a condition where one vertebra has slipped forward over another one below it. This instability typically occurs as a result of degenerative changes but may also be caused by stress fractures, or congenital abnormalities, and, in rare cases, from a tumor or trauma.
- Degenerative Scoliosis. Adult degenerative scoliosis is a condition where a right-left or lateral curve develops in a previously straight spine. This curvature occurs as a result of deterioration of the disc and joints in the back of the spine. As the joints degenerate they create a misalignment in the back, resulting in a bend or curvature, causing symptoms including lower back and/or leg pain.
If you’re suffering from chronic back or leg pain, be sure to talk with your doctor about what might be causing it and the best way to treat it.
If you’ve been recommended for an XLIF procedure and want support from someone who’s lived with chronic back or leg pain, speak with a Patient Ambassador and find out how there is life after back surgery.
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