A degenerative cause of spondylolisthesis is which Wiltse classification?

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A degenerative cause of spondylolisthesis is which Wiltse classification?

Wiltse's classification groups spondylolisthesis by the underlying cause, and the degenerative form is the third category. This type arises from age-related changes in the lumbar spine—disc height loss and facet joint degeneration—that compromise stability and allow one vertebra to slip forward over the one below. It is typically seen in middle-aged to older adults and most often at a level like L4–L5. This contrasts with the other categories, which include congenital dysplasia, stress fractures of the pars interarticularis (isthmic), acute traumatic fractures, and slips caused by pathologic processes such as tumors or infections. Therefore, the degenerative etiology fits the description for a degenerative spondylolisthesis.

Wiltse's classification groups spondylolisthesis by the underlying cause, and the degenerative form is the third category. This type arises from age-related changes in the lumbar spine—disc height loss and facet joint degeneration—that compromise stability and allow one vertebra to slip forward over the one below. It is typically seen in middle-aged to older adults and most often at a level like L4–L5. This contrasts with the other categories, which include congenital dysplasia, stress fractures of the pars interarticularis (isthmic), acute traumatic fractures, and slips caused by pathologic processes such as tumors or infections. Therefore, the degenerative etiology fits the description for a degenerative spondylolisthesis.

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