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ICD-Code Q76.21: Congenital spondylolisthesis

A congenital defect of the spinal vertebral arches causes spondylolisthesis (vertebral slippage).

The spine is made up of the individual vertebrae. Between every 2 vertebrae there is a vertebral disc.Most vertebrae consist of a vertebral body and a vertebral arch. The vertebral body bears the weight of the body. The vertebral arches lie on top of one another to form the spinal canal. The spinal cord lies in the vertebral canal.

While developing in the womb, many different types of tissue develop in the body. The organs and body parts develop out of the various types of tissue.If tissue fails to develop properly, defects can occur.

One or more vertebral arches did not develop properly in the womb. If the vertebral arches do not develop correctly, the individual vertebrae have a less stable connection with one another. This typically affects the lowest vertebrae in the lumbar spine. The affected vertebrae then slip forwards or backwards. Slippage of the vertebrae can cause health problems.

For example, bending the back may cause back pain. The pain may also spread to the buttocks or legs. If the vertebrae are in the lumber spine, the condition may cause hyperlordosis (“hollow back”).

Additional indicator

On medical documents, the ICD code is often appended by letters that indicate the diagnostic certainty or the affected side of the body.

  • G: Confirmed diagnosis
  • V: Tentative diagnosis
  • Z: Condition after
  • A: Excluded diagnosis
  • L: Left
  • R: Right
  • B: Both sides
Further information

Note

This information is not intended for self-diagnosis and does not replace professional medical advice from a doctor. If you find an ICD code on a personal medical document, please also note the additional indicator used for diagnostic confidence.
Your doctor will assist you with any health-related questions and explain the ICD diagnosis code to you in a direct consultation if necessary.

Source

The explanation of the ICD code was provided by the non-profit organization “Was hab’ ich?” gemeinnützige GmbH on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG).