(Christian Georg Schmorl, 18611932, German pathologist), a protrusion of intervertebral disc material through a defect in the subchondral bone plate of a vertebra. The defect occurs at the site where periosteal vessels penetrate the cartilage plate.
The Schmorls node causes an abnormal contour of the vertebral body endplate. It produces a concave defect with sharp margins. Causes of Schmorl's nodes include trauma, hyperparathyroidism, Scheuermanns disease, Scheuermanns disease, infection and neoplasm. Also, see intervertebral disc.
CR
