SCHEUERMANN DISEASE

Course overview

SCHEUERMANN KYPHOSIS, ALSO KNOWN AS SCHEUERMANN DISEASE, JUVENILE KYPHOSIS OR JUVENILE DISCOGENIC DISEASE, IS A CONDITION INVOLVING AN ABNORMAL, EXCESSIVE CURVATURE OF THE SPINE. IT INVOLVES BOTH THE VERTEBRAL BODIES AND DISCS OF THE SPINE AND IS CHARACTERIZED BY ANTERIOR WEDGING OF GREATER THAN OR EQUAL TO 5 DEGREES IN 3 OR MORE ADJACENT VERTEBRAL BODIES. TYPE 1 SCHEUERMANN DISEASE INVOLVES THE THORACIC SPINE, WHEREAS TYPE 2 INVOLVES BOTH THE THORACIC AND LUMBAR SPINE. SCHEUERMANN DISEASE TYPICALLY PRESENTS WITH POSTURAL DEFORMITY AND SUBACUTE THORACIC PAIN IN ADOLESCENTS. MANAGEMENT OF THIS CONDITION INVOLVES LIFESTYLE MODIFICATION, STRETCHING EXERCISES, AND NON-STEROIDAL ANTI-INFLAMMATORIES. ADDITIONALLY, A BRACE IS INDICATED FOR MORE EXTENSIVE DISEASE AND SURGICAL INTERVENTION IS INDICATED FOR PATIENTS WITH A GREATER DEGREE OF KYPHOSIS, NEUROLOGIC DEFICITS OR SEVERE REFRACTORY PAIN. THIS ACTIVITY OUTLINES THE EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF SCHEUERMANN DISEASE AND ILLUSTRATES THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN IMPROVING CARE FOR PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.