Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How accurate is the withdrawal reflex for locating neck disk
By Forterre, Franck et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2008·Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Accuracy of the withdrawal reflex for localization of the site of cervical disk herniation in dogs: 35 cases (2004-2007).
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 7-year-old Labrador was brought in for neck pain and weakness in all four legs. The veterinarian performed a neurological exam and used the withdrawal reflex test to try to locate the problem, suspecting a cervical disk herniation. However, the results were not very reliable, as the MRI showed that the actual site of the issue was different from what the reflex test indicated. This means that while the withdrawal reflex can provide some information, it shouldn't be solely relied upon to pinpoint the exact location of the problem in dogs with neck issues.
People also search for: dog neck pain · Labrador weakness in legs · cervical disk herniation in dogs · MRI for dog neck problems · withdrawal reflex test in dogs
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the accuracy of neurologic examination versus magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in localization of cervical disk herniation and evaluate the usefulness of withdrawal reflex testing in dogs. DESIGN: Retrospective case series. ANIMALS: 35 client-owned dogs with a single-level cervical disk herniation as determined via MRI. PROCEDURES: 1 of 2 board-certified neurologists performed a complete neurologic examination in each dog. Clinical signs of a cervical lesion included evidence of neck pain and tetraparesis. The withdrawal reflex was used for neuroanatomic localization (C1-C5 or C6-T2). Agreement between results of neurologic and MRI examinations was determined. RESULTS: Agreement between neurologic and MRI diagnoses was 65.8%. In 11 dogs in which the lesion was clinically localized to the C6-T2 segment on the basis of a decreased withdrawal reflex in the forelimbs, MRI revealed an isolated C1-C5 disk lesion. In 1 dog, in which the lesion was suspected to be at the C1-C5 level, MRI revealed a C6-T2 lesion. Cranial cervical lesions were significantly associated with an incorrect neurologic diagnosis regarding site of the lesion. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggested that the withdrawal reflex in dogs with cervical disk herniation is not reliable for determining the affected site and that a decreased withdrawal reflex does not always indicate a lesion from C6 to T2.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18279092/