Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with spinal cord compression from disc herniation through
By Capasso, Michele et al.·Published in Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association·2023·AniCura - I Portoni Rossi Veterinary Hospital, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: MRI and CT features of a disc herniation through a fractured lumbar vertebra causing lumbar spinal cord compression in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old male Saint Bernard was brought to the vet because he was having trouble using his back legs after falling down the stairs. An MRI showed that a piece of his fractured vertebra was pressing on his spinal cord, causing significant nerve issues. The vet performed surgery to remove the material causing the compression, which was found to be fibrocartilaginous tissue. After the surgery, the dog showed improvement in his ability to walk and regain mobility.
People also search for: dog back leg weakness after fall · Saint Bernard spinal cord injury · dog surgery for disc herniation
Abstract
A 5-year-old intact male Saint Bernard was presented for paraparesis following a fall down the stairs. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a chronic fragmentation of the dorsocaudal aspect of the second lumbar vertebral body (L2). Material migrated from the L2 to L3 intervertebral space through the fractured caudal vertebral endplate into the vertebral body and reached the vertebral canal, resulting in a severe extradural compressive myelopathy. Computed tomography confirmed the vertebral fragmentation. Histology of surgically removed compressive material revealed fibrocartilaginous material. The uncommon route of the extruded disc material through a fractured vertebral body makes this case of traumatic disc extrusion unusual.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37549957/