Limbus vertebra

Case contributed by Ian Bickle
Diagnosis certain

Presentation

Low back pain for several months. Incidental finding on the plain film.

Patient Data

Age: 30 years old
Gender: Male
x-ray

Small well corticated fragment at the anterosuperior aspect of the L5 vertebral body.

It appears to 'fit' like a jigsaw puzzle into a similar defect in the L5 vertebral body.

Case Discussion

A limbus vertebra represents herniation of nucleus polposus through a defect in the anterior margin of the vertebral body endplate and beneath the ring apophysis.

It is an incidental findings, but distinct in appearance.  It may be inadvertantly thought to be a fracture to the non-specialist.

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