Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Spinal pressure measured during surgery in small dogs with back disc
By Noussitou, Fiammetta L et al.·Published in Veterinary surgery : VS·2015·Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Assessment of Intramedullary Spinal Pressure in Small Breed Dogs With Thoracolumbar Disk Extrusion Undergoing Hemilaminectomy.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of small breed dogs with back problems caused by thoracolumbar disk extrusion (a type of spinal disc issue) underwent surgery called hemilaminectomy to relieve pressure on their spinal cords. Before the surgery, these dogs showed higher spinal pressure compared to healthy dogs, but after the surgery and removal of the damaged disc material, their spinal pressure dropped significantly. This suggests that the surgery effectively relieved the pressure and could help improve their condition.
People also search for: small dog back surgery · thoracolumbar disk extrusion treatment · hemilaminectomy recovery in dogs
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To assess intramedullary spinal pressure (IMP) in small breed dogs with thoracolumbar disk extrusion. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. ANIMALS: Small breed dogs (n = 14) with thoracolumbar disk extrusion undergoing hemilaminectomy and healthy chondrodystrophic laboratory dogs (control; n = 3) without spinal disease. METHODS: Diagnosis was based on clinical and neurological examinations and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and was confirmed intraoperatively. A standardized anesthesia protocol and surgical procedure were used to minimize factors that could influence IMP. Intramedullary pressure was measured through a minidurotomy at the site of spinal cord compression using a fiber optic catheter inserted perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the spinal cord. Measurements were taken after hemilaminectomy and again after removal of extruded disk material. RESULTS: Affected dogs had significantly higher IMP compared to control dogs (P = .008) and IMP decreased significantly post-decompression compared with initial values (P < .001). No correlation was found between IMP and neurologic grade, degree of spinal cord compression on MRI, or signal intensity changes on MRI. CONCLUSION: Acute thoracolumbar disk extrusion is associated with increased IMP in small breed dogs and surgical decompression results in an immediate decrease of IMP.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26358818/