Discography in lumbar scheuermann’s disease

Between 1988 and 1996 102 patients with Scheuermann’s disease were observed in Kharkov Institute of Orthopaedics and Traumatology named after M.I. Sitenko. In 40 of those patients (5 women,35 men), aged 16-30, discography was carried out including functional discography in 17 patients. Discography was performed by generally accepted method. On the base of data obtained the classification of discogram types in lumbar Scheuermann’s disease is suggested: I. Intradiscal type of contrast matter disposition: 1) intradiscal displacement of nucleus pulposus; 2) protrusion of intervertebral disc; 3)hernia of intervertebral disc; 4) protrusion of the end-plate of the vertebral body - it is one of the specific discographic signs of lumbar Scheuermann’s disease and is characterized by slight degeneration of nucleus pulposus. II. Transdiscal type of contrast matter disposition - it is specific for lumbar Scheuermann’s disease and reflects the degeneration of the intervertebral disc: 1) extralaminar type (it was observed in segments with the anterior ring apophysis separation and was characterized by the prolapse of nucleus pulposus between the anterior ring apophysis and anterior vertebral body angle. 2) translaminar type (it was observed when contrast matter penetrated into the underlying vertebral body structures through the damaged end-plate. Authors reach the conclusion that in some cases discography is the most preferable method to examine the functional and structural state of the intervertebral disc.