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Schmorl's nodes in a post‐medieval skeletal sample from Klostermarienberg, Austria
Author(s) -
Üstündağ H.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
international journal of osteoarchaeology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.738
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1099-1212
pISSN - 1047-482X
DOI - 10.1002/oa.993
Subject(s) - etiology , medicine , osteoarthritis , demography , anatomy , pathology , sociology , alternative medicine
The prevalence and distribution pattern of Schmorl's nodes (SNs) were studied in a post‐medieval skeletal sample ( n = 473) from the 16 th –18 th century cemetery of Klostermarienberg, Austria. The reasons for the prevalence and distribution pattern of SNs in this sample are discussed with regard to their aetiology. SNs were correlated with age and sex as well as with degenerative spinal joint disease such as vertebral osteophytosis (VO) and apophyseal osteoarthritis (OA). SNs were most commonly found in the lower thoracic region, in agreement with other studies. Males were more affected than females by SNs, especially in the lower thoracic region. SNs show a completely different distribution pattern to VO and OA. Additionally, there was no relationship found between SNs and ageing. Observed differences in the prevalence of SNs in the vertebral column and between the sexes suggest that mechanical factors may be responsible. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.