Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How to manage vertebral fractures in pets?
By Bruecker, K A·Published in Seminars in veterinary medicine and surgery (small animal)·1996·Veterinary Medical and Surgical Group, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Principles of vertebral fracture management.
Plain-English summary
When a pet experiences a serious injury to their spine, it can lead to broken bones or dislocations, which may put pressure on the spinal cord. Understanding the anatomy of the spine helps veterinarians decide how to treat these injuries. A thorough neurological exam can show how badly the spinal cord is affected and whether the spine is stable. If X-rays reveal instability or if the pet shows severe or worsening neurological symptoms, surgery is often necessary. The success of the treatment largely depends on how severe the neurological issues are and how well the spine is stabilized during surgery.
Abstract
Traumatic disruption of the spine and supporting soft tissue structures may result in vertebral fracture or luxation and subsequent spinal cord compromise. An understanding of the regional anatomy is important to the discussion of pathophysiology and treatment of traumatic disorders. Various traumatic forces result in disruption of specific anatomic structures and reflect inherent stability or instability of the vertebral column. The neurological examination, and sequential neurological examinations, reflect the degree of spinal cord damage and vertebral instability. Patients in whom radiographs show instability, have severe neurological signs or worsening neurological signs, should be treated surgically. Several spinal stabilization techniques are available and their choice is contingent on the location in the spinal column, size of the patient, and the surgeon's experience. The prognosis is determined primarily by the severity of neurological signs, and the stability of the fixation technique.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9020579/