Relationship between Scheuermann disease and symptomatic thoracic spinal stenosis: A retrospective study

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Neurosurgery
• Radiology

Background:

• Thoracic spinal stenosis (TSS) is a debilitating condition impacting spinal cord function.
• Understanding the underlying pathophysiological factors of TSS is crucial for effective management.
• Scheuermann disease (SD) is a common spinal deformity, but its association with TSS subtypes remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between Scheuermann disease (SD) and specific causes of thoracic spinal stenosis (TSS).
• To evaluate the association of SD with ossification of the ligamentum flavum (OLF), ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL), and thoracic disc herniation (TDH).

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of radiological and demographic data from 66 patients with symptomatic TSS.
• Patients were categorized into TDH, OPLL, and OLF groups.
• Comparison with 41 age-matched healthy controls, assessing for typical and atypical SD criteria.

Main Results:

• Scheuermann disease (SD) was present in 83.33% of TDH patients and 44.44% of OLF patients.
• SD was significantly associated with TDH (P < 0.01) and OLF (P < 0.05), but not OPLL (P > 0.05).
• SD was identified as a risk factor for TDH and OLF, but not OPLL.

Conclusions:

• Scheuermann disease (SD) may be a contributing risk factor for thoracic disc herniation (TDH) and ossification of the ligamentum flavum (OLF).
• No significant association was found between SD and ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL).
• These findings highlight potential etiological links between SD and specific TSS pathologies.