I have a "chronic right l5 pars inter-articular defect" according to a ct scan (for unrelated injury). "chronic" sounds scary. should i be worried?

Indeterminate: The pars defect may be congenital or related to remote repeated stress. This finding needs to be correlated with clinical exam. X-rays with flexion and extension can be useful to determine if this is stable.

No.: Chronic means it has been there for a long time. It has probably healed, or just been there for a long time.

Not necessarily: A pars defect is a fracture(old or new) through a portion of a vertebrae that is a part of the posterior joints of the vertebrae, usually lumbar. Some of us may have one and never know it. Others, such as with a bilateral defect can have minimal or significant spine instability at that level which can cause progressive degenerative change and spinal stenosis. If you have back pain, tell your dr.