J Korean Radiol Soc.  1998 Jun;38(6):1085-1089. 10.3348/jkrs.1998.38.6.1085.

Schmorl's Nodes of the Lumbar Spine: Are They Simply Normal

• Hong SJ
• Ryu KN
• Choi WS
• Yoon Y

• KMID: 2201350
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3348/jkrs.1998.38.6.1085

Abstract

PURPOSE: To evaluate the accompanying abnormal findings of Schmorl's nodes(SN), a normal variants of thelumbar spine.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Seventy-five patients with one or more SN, as seen on lumbar spine MRI werestudied. Using a 1.5T MR unit, the number and location of SN, their site of the end plate, adjacent disc changesand lesion associated and not associated with SN, and accompanying associated bony spinal stenosis wereretrospectively investigated.
RESULTS
Among the 75 patients, 230 SN were noted in 375 vertebral bodies; theywere relatively frequently located on the second(65, 28.2%) and third(65, 28.2%) lumbar vertebrae. The most commonend-plate site of SN was the posterior one-third portion(160;69.6%). In 450 discs of these 75 patients, 172lesions were noted;those associated with SN(76/167, 45.5%) was more common than those not thus associated (96/283,33.9%)(p <0.05), and those associated with SN were relative frequently located on intervertebral disc L2-3 orL3-4(p <0.05). Thirty-seven SN (16.1%) were associated with bony spinal stenosis.
CONCLUSION
Because it isfrequently associated with disc lesions and bony spinal stenosis, SN of the lumbar spine may be a pathologiccondition rather than a normal variant.

Keyword

Spine, abnormalities; Spine, MR; Spine, intervertebral disks; Spine, stenosis

MeSH Terms

Humans
Intervertebral Disc
Lumbar Vertebrae
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Spinal Stenosis
Spine*