Does the bone mineral density is lower in patient that has schmorl nodes?

PURPOSE: To evaluate effects of schmorl nodes and bone mineral density MATERIAL AND METHODS: Our hospital imaging archive scanning retrospectively between 2011-2015 years 64 channels and 16-channel multislice computed tomography (MSCT ) device ( Brilliance, Philips Medical Systems ) with thoracolumbar CT scans including thoracic and lumbar vertebrae and thoraco-abdominal CT scans were evaluated. Thoracolumbar vertebrae with Schmorl nodules under the age of 40 , 74 patients and 38 healthy control subjects matched for age and gender were included in the study. RESULTS: 14 of the 74 patients in our study were female and 60 were male. Control group was 8 women and 30 male . The average age of the patients was 24.3 , the average age of the control group were 25.0 . There is no significant differences in age and gender distribution was detected between the two groups (p = 0.438 ) . Mean BMD of the patients 131.6 g / cm3 , the mean BMD of control group, 140.7 g / cm3 is measured statistically significant difference was found between the two groups (p = 0.03). There was no statistical correlation between the mean BMD of the total schmorl nodes. CONCLUSION: There are many theories about the SN pathogenesis . In osteoporotic patients with minor trauma because of microfracture ind end plateau and weakness have been reported to occur in schmorl nodes. However, there are no studies examining the relationship between SN development in young patients and bone mineral density in the literature. In our study, when patients younger than 40 years , SN in the thoracolumbar spine compared with the control group bone mineral density was shown to be significantly lower . In young patients, examining the relationship between SN development of bone mineral density, a greater number of cases involving more work is needed .