Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- Section 1 Brain, head, and neck
- Section 2 Spine
- Case 19 Variants of the upper cervical spine
- Case 20 Atlantoaxial rotatory fixation versus head rotation
- Case 21 Cervical flexion and extension radiographs after blunt trauma
- Case 22 Pseudosubluxation of C2–C3
- Case 23 Calcific tendinitis of the longus colli
- Case 24 Motion artifact simulating spinal fracture
- Case 25 Pars interarticularis defects
- Case 26 Limbus vertebra
- Case 27 Transitional vertebrae
- Case 28 Subtle injuries in ankylotic spine disorders
- Case 29 Spinal dural arteriovenous fistula
- Section 3 Thorax
- Section 4 Cardiovascular
- Section 5 Abdomen
- Section 6 Pelvis
- Section 7 Musculoskeletal
- Section 8 Pediatrics
- Index
- References
Case 26 - Limbus vertebra
from Section 2 - Spine
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 March 2013
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- Section 1 Brain, head, and neck
- Section 2 Spine
- Case 19 Variants of the upper cervical spine
- Case 20 Atlantoaxial rotatory fixation versus head rotation
- Case 21 Cervical flexion and extension radiographs after blunt trauma
- Case 22 Pseudosubluxation of C2–C3
- Case 23 Calcific tendinitis of the longus colli
- Case 24 Motion artifact simulating spinal fracture
- Case 25 Pars interarticularis defects
- Case 26 Limbus vertebra
- Case 27 Transitional vertebrae
- Case 28 Subtle injuries in ankylotic spine disorders
- Case 29 Spinal dural arteriovenous fistula
- Section 3 Thorax
- Section 4 Cardiovascular
- Section 5 Abdomen
- Section 6 Pelvis
- Section 7 Musculoskeletal
- Section 8 Pediatrics
- Index
- References
Summary
Imaging description
A limbus vertebra (LV) demonstrates separation of a segment of the rim of the vertebral body. This was first described by Schmorl in 1927 [1], and is caused by intraosseous penetration of disk material at the junction of the cartilaginous endplate and the bony rim during childhood or adolescence [2]. An oblique radiolucent defect extends from the vertebral endplate to the outer surface of the vertebral body, separating off a small segment of bone (Figure 26.1). In adults, this is typically triangular in shape and has sclerotic margins. This helps distinguish the lesion from an acute fracture. In children, the separate fragment may not be ossified, and not visible on radiographs, and only a lucent defect in the vertebral body may be evident.
Limbus vertebrae most commonly occur at the anterosuperior margin of a single lumbar vertebra [3], followed by the anteroinferior margin of a lumbar vertebra, and far less commonly at the posteroinferior corner of a lumbar vertebra or in the thoracic spine [1].
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Pearls and Pitfalls in Emergency RadiologyVariants and Other Difficult Diagnoses, pp. 90 - 91Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2013