Schmorl's node: Meaning in a Radiology Report

Schmorl's node

Also written as: Schmorl node, intravertebral disc herniation, intraosseous disc herniation, endplate herniation

A Schmorl's node is a small pocket where disc material has pushed into the bone of the vertebra above or below. It is common and usually harmless.

Seen on: MRI, CT, X-ray

How it reads in a report

Small Schmorl's nodes are noted at the T12 and L1 endplates, without surrounding marrow edema.

What it means

Between each disc and vertebra lies a thin plate of cartilage and bone called the endplate. If it has a weak spot, part of the disc's soft center can push through into the vertebra. On X-ray or CT this looks like a small rounded dent in the bone, often with a white rim. On MRI it appears as a notch filled with disc material. Most form slowly and quietly.

When it matters

Schmorl's nodes are found in many people without back pain and usually need no follow-up. A new one can hurt for a while, and MRI may show swelling (edema) in the bone around it that settles over time. In teenagers, several nodes together with wedge-shaped vertebrae can be part of Scheuermann disease, a cause of a rounded upper back.

Questions to ask your doctor

Does the node look old, or is there bone swelling that suggests it is new?
Could it be related to my back pain?
Are there other disc or endplate changes at the same level?

General information, not medical advice. What a finding means for you depends on your symptoms, your history and the images themselves, so talk your results through with a doctor.