Scheuermann Disease

  • Etiology: repeated vertical trauma causes nucleus pulposus to migrate through weak point between ring apophysis and vertebral endplate to produce avascular necrosis of vertebral ring apophysis and avulsion fracture of endplate
  • Imaging: intravertebral disk herniation (Schmorl nodes), anterior vertebral body wedging, disk space narrowing, defects in anterosuperior and anteroinferior aspects of vertebral bodies = anterior disk herniation
  • Note: need wedging of greater than 5 degrees of three or more contiguous vertebral bodies, increased kyphosis > 40 degrees
  • Clinical: involves thoracic spine (more frequently) and lumbar spine

Radiology Cases of Scheuermann Disease

Radiograph and CT of Scheuermann disease
Lateral scout radiograph and 2D sagittal reconstruction of the lumbar spine from a CT of the abdomen shows anterior wedging and Schmorl nodes deformities of the T8, T9 and T10 vertebral bodies along with disc space narrowing at those levels.