Distribution of Schmorl's Nodes in the Lumbar Spine and their Relationship with Lumbar Disc Degeneration and Range of Motion

Degenerative disc disease (DDD) is a progressive pathological condition observed in 60 to 80% of the population [1]. It involves changes in both the biochemistry and morphology of the intervertebral disc and is associated with chronic low back pain, sciatica and adult scoliosis [2,3]. The most accepted theory of the effects of DDD on the kinematics of the spine is that proposed by Kirkaldy-Willis and Farfan which states that the condition initiates as a temporary dysfunction, followed by instability and then re-stabilization as the disease progresses [4]. Although there is no clear relationship between disc degeneration and the mechanical behavior of the lumbar spine, abnormal motion patterns either in the form of increased motion or erratic motion have been reported from studies on human cadaveric motion segments [5,6]. To date however no study has looked at how disc degeneration affects the adjacent segment mechanics. IN vivo testing is difficult for these purposes given that specimens are generally obtained from people at the later stages of life and consequently often display multiple pathologies. A finite element model is a viable alternative to study the mechanics of the segments adjacent to the diseased disc. It is hypothesized that moderate degeneration at one level will alter the kinematics of the whole lumbar spine.

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Is intrinsic lumbar spine shape associated with lumbar disc degeneration? An exploratory study

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders ◽

10.1186/s12891-020-03346-7 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Janet A. Deane ◽

Anastasia V. Pavlova ◽

Adrian K. P. Lim ◽

Jennifer S. Gregory ◽

Richard M. Aspden ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lumbar Spine ◽

Disc Degeneration ◽

Exploratory Study ◽

Lumbar Disc ◽

Lumbar Disc Degeneration ◽

Spine Shape

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Is restricted range of motion one of the signs of lumbar disc degeneration in older adults with low back pain?

Osteoarthritis and Cartilage ◽

10.1016/j.joca.2019.02.505 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 27 ◽

pp. S463

Author(s):

R. van den Berg ◽

A. Chiarotto ◽

W.T. Enthoven ◽

E.I. de Schepper ◽

E.H. Oei ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Low Back Pain ◽

Back Pain ◽

Range Of Motion ◽

Disc Degeneration ◽

Lumbar Disc ◽

Low Back ◽

Restricted Range ◽

Lumbar Disc Degeneration

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Epidemiology of Lumbar Degenerative Phenotypes of Children and Adolescents: A Large-Scale Imaging Study

Global Spine Journal ◽

10.1177/21925682211000707 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 219256822110007

Author(s):

Zhong-Yuan Wan ◽

Jun Zhang ◽

Hua Shan ◽

Tang-Fen Liu ◽

Fang Song ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lumbar Spine ◽

Children And Adolescents ◽

High Intensity ◽

Large Scale ◽

Lumbar Disc ◽

Modic Changes ◽

Lumbar Disc Degeneration ◽

True Incidence ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Schmorl’S Nodes

Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Objective: Recently, there has been a rise in children and adolescents developing low back pain and/or sciatica. Degenerative lumbar spine MRI phenotypes can occur in this population but reports have been sporadic and the true incidence of such spine changes remains debatable. As such, the study aimed to address the epidemiology of MRI phenotypes of the lumbar spine in this young population. Methods: 597 children and adolescents with lumbar MRIs were included in the study. T1- and T2-weighted lumbar images from L1/2 to L5/S1 were analyzed in axial and sagittal planes. Global phenotype assessment was performed of each level and based on established nomenclature protocols. Results: The cohort consisted of 57.3% (342) boys and 42.7% (255) girls, with a mean age of 10.75 ± 5.25 years (range: 0 to 18 years). The prevalence of imaging findings of lumbar disc degeneration (LDD) and lumbar disc herniation (LDH) were 2.2% (95% CI: 0.93–3.43) and 5.8% (95%CI: 2.58-8.99), respectively. There was significant difference between each disc segment from L1/2 to L5/S1 for both LDD and LDH. Schmorl’s nodes were noted in 16 cases (2.7%, youngest case as 15 years), with 11 boys (68.8%) and most frequent segment as L3/4. Modic changes and high-intensity zones were absent in this cohort. Conclusions: LDD can emerge as early as the first decade of life with Schmorl’s nodes, without additional specific phenotypes, including Modic changes and high-intensity zones. The study provides valuable information of a unique age group that is often under-represented but equally important as adults.

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Lumbar Disc Degeneration

Acta Radiologica ◽

10.3109/02841859009173095 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 31 (6) ◽

pp. 551-554

Author(s):

O. Tervonen ◽

S. Lahde ◽

J. Rydberg

Keyword(s):

Disc Degeneration ◽

Lumbar Disc ◽

Lumbar Disc Degeneration

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Faculty Opinions recommendation of GDF5 single-nucleotide polymorphism rs143383 is associated with lumbar disc degeneration in Northern European women.

Faculty Opinions – Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature ◽

10.3410/f.724435369.8399057 ◽

2011 ◽

Author(s):

Ingrid Meulenbelt ◽

Steffan Daniel Bos

Keyword(s):

Single Nucleotide Polymorphism ◽

Disc Degeneration ◽

Lumbar Disc ◽

Lumbar Disc Degeneration ◽

Nucleotide Polymorphism ◽

Single Nucleotide ◽

Northern European ◽

European Women

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INTERVERTEBRAL DISC DEGENERATION LINKED TO STRUCTURAL GENE VARIATIONS

Pakistan Journal of Medicine and Dentistry ◽

10.36283/pjmd8-4/012 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Saeeda Baig

Keyword(s):

Intervertebral Disc ◽

Disc Degeneration ◽

Intervertebral Disc Degeneration ◽

English Language ◽

Tandem Repeats ◽

Lumbar Disc ◽

Disease Process ◽

Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽

Structural Protein ◽

Lumbar Disc Degeneration

During the recent past focus has shifted from identifying intervertebral disc degeneration as being caused by physical exposure and strain to being linked with a variety of genetic variations. The objective of this review is to provide an up to date review of the existing research data regarding the relation of intervertebral disc degeneration to structural protein genes and their polymorphisms and thus help clearly establish further avenues where research into causation and treatment is needed. A comprehensive search using the keywords “Collagen”, “COL”, “Aggrecan”, “AGC”, “IVDD”, “intervertebral disc degeneration”, and “lumbar disc degeneration” from PubMed and Google Scholar, where literature in the English language was selected spanning from 1991 to 2019. There are many genes involved in the production of structural components of an intervertebral disc. The issues in production of these components involve the over-expression or under-expression of their genes, and single nucleotide polymorphisms and variable number of tandem repeats affecting their structures. These structural genes include primarily the collagen and the aggrecan genes. While genetic and environmental factors all come into play with a disease process like disc degeneration, the bulk of research now shows the significantly larger impact of hereditary over exposure. While further research is needed into some of the lesser studied genes linked to IVDD and also the racial variations in genetic makeup, the focus in the near future should be on establishment of genetic testing to identify individuals at greater risk of disease and deliberation regarding the use of gene therapy to prevent disc degeneration.

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