Vertebral bone density in Scheuermann disease.

The densities of the trabecular bone of two or three lumbar vertebral bodies in twenty adolescents, twelve to eighteen years old, who had Scheuermann disease were measured by quantitative computed tomography. These densities were then compared with those for the same vertebrae of twenty age, sex, and race-matched adolescents who were examined by computed tomography because of trauma. The same scanner and phantom were used in all examinations. Both the adolescents who had Scheuermann disease and the control patients were in good health before the quantitative computed-tomography examination and had not been taking any medications. The density of the trabecular bone density in the patients who had Scheuermann disease was not significantly different (p = 0.28) from that in the controls. There also were no significant differences between the patients and the controls with regard to height, weight, surface area, or body-mass index.