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The prevalence of Schmorl’s nodes in osteoporotic vs normal patients: a Middle Eastern population study

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Abstract

Summary

The study was conducted to establish the association of Schmorl’s nodes and osteoporosis in a Middle Eastern cohort. The prevalence of SN in this sample was 41.1%. It was most frequent in the lumbar spine typically solitary central lesions. Over 88% Schmorl’s node cases were osteoporotic/osteopenic and only 11.6% normal.

Introduction

This study aims to identify the prevalence of Schmorl’s nodes (SNs) in a cohort of Omani nationals, and also to determine any relation between osteoporosis and Schmorl’s nodes.

Methods

This retrospective observational study was conducted on Omani nationals. One thousand three hundred and forty-eight DEXA scan patients were included. Of these, 545 patients had complete X-rays and MRI scans that would help determine the SN status. The X-rays and sagittal, coronal, and axial T2-weighted MR images were used to identify the presence and exact location of the Schmorl nodes by one orthopedic trainee and confirmed by the senior author. The correlation of each parameter with the presence of SN was analyzed by the independent-samples T test and one-way ANOVA.

Results

The overall prevalence of SN in this population sample appeared to be 41.1%. Over 88% of the SN-positive cases were either osteopenic or frankly osteoporotic by the WHO definition. Vast majority of SNs (87.1%) occurred in the lumbar spine and were central in location and mostly solitary. Statistical analysis of the data revealed significant correlation between osteopenia or osteoporosis and the presence of SNs.

Conclusions

The prevalence of SN in the sample of Omanis studied was 41.1% and was most frequently seen in older men in the lumbar spine. It is strongly associated with osteoporosis/osteopenia (88.4%) and frequently presents as solitary central lesions.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Mr. Sachin Jose, Statistics Specialist, Research Section, Oman Medical Specialty Board, for his contributions to the statistical analysis of the data presented.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Oman Medical Speciality Board, Muscat, Oman

    M. Othman

  2. Department of Spine Surgery, Bharati Vidyapeeth Medical College Hospital, Pune, India

    V. K. Menon

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  1. M. Othman
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Correspondence to V. K. Menon.

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Othman, M., Menon, V. The prevalence of Schmorl’s nodes in osteoporotic vs normal patients: a Middle Eastern population study. Osteoporos Int 33, 1493–1499 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-022-06316-y

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