Our nine-year-old niece has had back pain all year. The doctor finally diagnosed it as spondylolysis. How can a child so young have this kind of back trouble?

Spondylolysis is an undisplaced fracture of the pars interarticularis. The pars is a part of the back half of the vertebra. It provides structural support for the vertebral arch. The arch forms around the spinal canal to protect the spinal cord.

Some children are predisposed to spondylolysis. This means there is a structural anomaly or deformity already present at birth that can lead to spondylolysis. Under the right conditions, the inherited defect of the pars is at increased risk for fracture.

Repetitive trauma or hyperextension of the spine puts children at risk for this type of damage. Football, wrestling, gymnastics, and tennis athletes are at the greatest risk for spondylolysis.

Too much training for too long and poor technique combined together stretch young children beyond their strength and physical capacity. Jump landings, spinal twisting, and heavy lifting place large amounts of pressure and stress on the bone. The end result is a fracture of this type.