Radiologic and pathologic patterns of end-plate-based vertebral sclerosis.
Degenerative spondyloarthropathy is the result of a number of related pathologic processes, including loss of disc elasticity, repetitive mild trauma, and osteoporosis. The effects are manifested microscopically in a number of patterns reflecting alterations in stress, healing microfractures, and bone-cartilage interactions along the vertebral end-plate. The microscopic changes lead in turn to radiographically evident vertebral body sclerosis. The resultant sclerosis is not always in the classic band-like pattern along the vertebral end-plate, and the atypical patterns may be difficult to recognize as degenerative in origin. In a detailed analysis of clinical and postmortem material, we have categorized both the pathologic and radiographic patterns of benign non-Pagetic vertebral body sclerosis. This radiographic classification provides a unified framework for clinical recognition of the various patterns of degenerative sclerosis.
Katz
M E
ME
Department of Radiology and Medical Imaging, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Michigan.
Teitelbaum
S L
SL
Gilula
L A
LA
Resnick
D
D
Katz
S J
SJ
D000328:Adult; D002102:Cadaver; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D012598:Sclerosis; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology