Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Rabbit with broken spine treated by external fixator and fluoroscopy
By Rosas-Navarro, José et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2022·Exotics Surgery and Medicine Service, France·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Stabilization of a vertebral fracture by a monolateral external fixator placed percutaneously with fluoroscopy guidance in a rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus).
- Species:
- rabbit
Plain-English summary
A 2-year-old Mini Lop rabbit suddenly lost the ability to move his back legs after jumping from his owner's arms, indicating a possible spinal injury. After a thorough examination and imaging, the vet found a fracture in the rabbit's spine. They treated the injury by stabilizing the fracture with a special external fixator, which was placed without making any cuts in the skin. Just three days after surgery, the rabbit began to walk again, and within two weeks, he had fully recovered. Follow-up visits showed he was back to normal, and the fixator was removed after six weeks.
People also search for: rabbit back leg paralysis · Mini Lop rabbit spinal injury treatment · rabbit recovery from vertebral fracture
Abstract
CASE DESCRIPTION: A 2-year-old intact male Mini Lop rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) exhibited acute paraplegia and was suspected of having a traumatic spinal injury after leaping from the owner's arms. CLINICAL FINDINGS: In the physical examination, the patient was conscious and responsive and presented a loss of hind-limb motor function. The results of the neurologic examination indicated a T3-L3 spinal cord lesion. Vertebral column radiography and CT showed a fracture of the dorsal arch in the right caudal part of vertebra L1 and a fracture of the caudal end plate of vertebra L1 without displacement. TREATMENT AND OUTCOME: The vertebral fracture was stabilized by a monolateral external fixator placed percutaneously with fluoroscopy guidance. The rabbit was discharged 48 hours after surgery. Three days later, the rabbit was able to walk with mild paraparesis, and 2 weeks after surgery, the rabbit showed full recovery of neurologic function. The follow-up performed 6 weeks after surgery showed normal gait, good alignment and complete consolidation of the fracture. The external fixator was then removed. The follow-up examination and radiographic findings showed complete recovery at 2 and 6 months after surgery. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The most common cause of traumatic posterior paralysis in rabbits is vertebral fracture. This article describes the possibility and successful outcome of stabilizing a vertebral fracture in a rabbit with an external fixator using a minimally invasive fluoroscopic technique. This technique, described to the authors' knowledge for the first time in a rabbit, allows a fracture to be stabilized accurately without any incisions while minimizing complications and postoperative pain.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35333745/