Scheuermann's Disease

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Scheuermann's disease (SD) is a developmental disorder in adolescence that causes a rigid or relatively rigid hyperkyphosis of the thoracic or thoracolumbar spine and has specific radiographic findings. It most commonly occurs in the adolescent growth spurt between the ages of 12 and 15, but can occur as early as late preschool.

Classification

There are two curve patterns.

1. Thoracic pattern: the most common. Associated with a non-structural hyperlordosis of the lumbar and cervical spine.
2. Thoracolumbar pattern: this is rare, and is more likely to progress during adult life. Also known as lumbar type 2 Scheuermann's disease, or Apprentice kyphosis. This is more common in athletic adolescent males or in those that do heavy lifting. There is no significant kyphosis clinically.

Aetiology

The aetiology is not completely understood. Theories include:

• Genetic: It seems to have an autosomal dominant inheritance pattern with high penetrance and variable expressivity. A large twin study that looked at self-reported previous diagnoses of SD found that there was a major genetic contribution with odds ratios of 32.92 in monozygotic and 6.25 in dizygotic twins, and heritability of 74%.
• Mechanical factors: Repetitive activities including repetitive loading in the immature spine. It is thought that there may be an altered remodelling response to abnormal biomechanical stress. Individuals with SD tend to be heavier and taller but this may be a consequence of other upstream factors (e.g. hormonal), rather than a cause of SD itself.
• Increased growth hormone levels
• Defective collagen fibril formation and resultant weakened vertebral end plate
• Juvenile osteoporosis: many studies have found lower bone mineral density in SD patients. However it isn't known if this is a consequence of decreased physical activity due to pain, or a primary causative factor of SD.
• Sternum length: There is an association of shorter sternums with SD development. It isn't known if this is a primary cause, but if it is it could be explained by the shorter sternum causing increased forces on the anterior aspect of the thoracic vertebrae.
• Trauma
• Vitamin A deficiency
• Poliomyelitis
• Epiphysitis

Epidemiology

Prevalence studies report a range of 0.4 to 8%. These figures may be a lower limit due to the condition being generally underdiagnosed. Most studies indicate a male predominance.

Clinical Features

The most common reason for individuals with SD seeking healthcare is deformity. Patients may have pain, but this is usually mild, and tends to improve when growth is completed. The pain is generally located at the apex of the curve. Spondylolisthesis is more common in SD and patients with this may have low back pain.

The kyphosis may be present in the thoracic or thoracolumbar region and is fixed, i.e. it is still present with hyperextension of the spine. The Adam's test involves having the patient bend forward, and is positive if there is a sharply angulated deformity. There is a varying degree of lumbar hyperlordosis and forward head posture, and these lumbar and cervical curves are flexible. Scoliosis is present in approximately a third of patients and tends to be minor.

There is often shortening of the anterior shoulder girdle, hamstring, and iliopsoas muscles.

There may be hyperpigmentation at the apex of the kyphosis. This is thought to be due to skin friction from sitting on chairs.

Neurological abnormalities are rare. Deficits may occur in the presence of thoracic disc herniation, kyphotic angulation, spinal cord tenting, extradural spinal cysts, osteoporotic compression fractures, and anterior spinal artery injury.

Restrictive lung disease may occur with severe angulation of over 100° with the apex of the curve in the 1st to 8th vertebrae.

Imaging

SD is characterised by vertebral body wedging, vertebral endplate irregularities, diminished anterior vertebral growth, Schmorl's nodes, narrowing of the intervertebral disc space, and premature disc degeneration.

The standing lateral radiograph is used to make the diagnosis. The arms are held at a 45° angle below the horizontal line

1. Thoracic Cobb angle of at least 45 degrees
   • Measured from the superior endplate of T3 to the inferior endplate of T12.
   • Normal values: The normal range is 25° to 45°. It tends to increase with age in the normal population and is slightly greater in women. Lumbar lordosis normal range is 36° to 56°. The transitional T10-L2 zone is slightly lordotic at 0° to 10°.
2. Vertebral wedging of at least one vertebra at a minimum of 5°

Most studies use the 1964 Sorenson criteria which stipulates wedging of a minimum of 5° of three or more adjacent apical vertebrae. The 1987 Drummond criteria only required two or more adjacent vertebrae. The 1987 Sachs criteria only require one vertebra to be wedged along with a thoracic kyphosis of more than 45° (T3-T12).

The sagittal balance of the spine can be assessed by looking at the C7 plumb line. This is the C7 vertebral body vertical axis and it should lie vertically within 2cm of the sacral promontory. In patients with SD the spine tends to have a negative balance with the C7 plumb line lying behind the sacral promontory.

Differential Diagnosis

The main differential is postural kyphosis. These conditions can be differentiated by the forward bending test. In postural kyphosis there is a smooth, flexible, and symmetric contour. In SD, there is an area of angulation in a fixed kyphotic curve.

Differential Diagnosis of Thoracic Kyphosis

• Scheuermann's disease
• Postural kyphosis
• Idiopathic kyphosis
• Spondylitis osteochondral dystrophies
• Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasias
• Congenital kyphosis

Treatment

The rarer lumbar Scheuermann's disease is non-progressive and typically resolves with rest, activity modification, and time.

Prognosis

The long-term prognosis is largely unknown, as is the likelihood of progression at a certain degree of severity. In the long-term, individuals with SD have more pain than controls. There doesn't appear to be a correlation between quality of life, health, or back pain with the severity of disease. However patients may have an increased risk of disability, lower quality of life, and poorer general health.

Literature Review

Literature Review

Reviews from the last 7 years: review articles, free review articles, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, NCBI Bookshelf

Articles from all years: PubMed search, Google Scholar search.

TRIP Database: clinical publications about evidence-based medicine.

Other Wikis: Radiopaedia, Wikipedia Search, Wikipedia I Feel Lucky, Orthobullets,