Functional neurologic recovery in two dogs diagnosed with severe luxation of the vertebral column

Traumatic injuries to the vertebral column, spinal cord, and cauda equina nerve roots occur frequently in human and veterinary medicine and lead to devastating consequences. Complications include partial or complete loss of motor, sensory, and visceral functions, which are among the main causes of euthanasia in dogs. The present case report describes neurological functional recovery in two dogs that were treated surgically for severe spinal fracture and vertebral luxation. In the first case, a stray, mixed breed puppy was diagnosed with thoracolumbar syndrome and Schiff-Scherrington posture, as well as a T13 caudal epiphyseal fracture with 100% luxation between vertebrae T13 and L1; despite these injuries, the animal did show deep pain sensation in the pelvic limbs. Decompression through hemilaminectomy and spinal stabilization with vertebral body pins and bone cement were performed, and the treatment was supplemented with physiotherapy and acupuncture. In the second case, a mixed breed dog was diagnosed with a vertebral fracture and severe luxation between L6 and L7 after a vehicular trauma, but maintained nociception and perineal reflex. Surgical stabilization of the spine was performed using a modified dorsal segmental fixation technique Both patients showed significant recovery of neurological function. Complete luxation of the spinal canal observed radiographically does not mean a poor prognosis, and in some cases, motor, sensory, and visceral functions all have the potential for recovery. In the first case the determining factor for good prognosis was the presence of deep pain perception, and in the second case the prognosis was determined by the presence of sensitivity and anal sphincter tone during the initial neurological examination.

Estudo comparativo da postura de indivíduos com e sem dor na coluna vertebral

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Effects of anatomic conformation on three-dimensional motion of the caudal lumbar and lumbosacral portions of the vertebral column of dogs

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between the 3-dimensional (3-D) motion pattern of the caudal lumbar and lumbosacral portions of the canine vertebral column and the morphology of vertebrae, facet joints, and intervertebral disks. SAMPLE POPULATION: Vertebral columns of 9 German Shepherd Dogs and 16 dogs of other breeds with similar body weights and body conditions. PROCEDURE: Different morphometric parameters of the vertebral column were assessed by computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging. Anatomic conformation and the 3-D motion pattern were compared, and correlation coefficients were calculated. RESULTS: Total range of motion for flexion and extension was mainly associated with the facet joint angle, the facet joint angle difference between levels of the vertebral column in the transverse plane on CT images, disk height, and lever arm length. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Motion is a complex process that is influenced by the entire 3-D conformation of the lumbar portion of the vertebral column. In vivo dynamic measurements of the 3-D motion pattern of the lumbar and lumbosacral portions of the vertebral column will be necessary to further assess biomechanics that could lead to disk degeneration in dogs.

Biomechanical comparison between bicortical pin and monocortical screw/polymethylmethacrylate constructs in the cadaveric canine cervical vertebral column.

OBJECTIVE To compare biomechanical stiffness of cadaveric canine cervical spine constructs stabilized with bicortical stainless steel pins and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), monocortical stainless steel screws with PMMA, or monocortical titanium screws with PMMA. STUDY DESIGN Biomechanical cadaver study. ANIMALS Eighteen canine cervical vertebral columns (C2-C7) were collected from skeletally mature dogs (weighing 22-32 kg). METHODS Specimens were radiographed and examined by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Stiffness of the unaltered C4-C5 intervertebral motion unit was measured in extension, flexion and lateral bending using non-destructive 4-point bend testing. Specimens were then stabilized by (1) bicortical stainless steel pins/PMMA, (2) monocortical stainless steel screws/PMMA, or (3) monocortical titanium screws/PMMA. Mechanical testing was repeated and stiffness data from unaltered specimens and the 3 treatment groups were compared. RESULTS All 3 surgical methods significantly increased stiffness of the C4-C5 motion unit compared with the unaltered specimen (P < .001 for all treatments), but stiffness was not significantly different among the 3 fixation groups (P = .578). CONCLUSIONS In this model, monocortical screw fixation (with stainless steel or titanium screws) was biomechanically equivalent to bicortical fixation.

Congenital thoracic vertebral malformations in brachycephalic “screw-tailed” dog breeds: Validation of a human classification scheme and a method of Cobb angle measurement in the assessment of vertebral column deformity

Congenital vertebral malformations are common in brachycephalic “screw-tailed” dog breeds such as French bulldogs, English bulldogs, Boston terriers, and Pugs. Those vertebral malformations disrupt the normal vertebral column anatomy and biomechanics, potentially leading to deformity of the vertebral column and subsequent neurological dysfunction. The initial aim of this work was to study and determine whether the congenital vertebral malformations identified in those breeds could be translated in a radiographic classification scheme used in humans to give an improved classification, with clear and well-defined terminology, with the expectation that this would facilitate future study and clinical management in the veterinary field. Therefore, two observers who were blinded to the neurologic status of the dogs classified each vertebral malformation based on the human classification scheme of McMaster and were able to translate them successfully into a new classification scheme for veterinary use. The following aim was to assess the nature and the impact of vertebral column deformity engendered by those congenital vertebral malformations in the target breeds. As no gold standard exists in veterinary medicine for the calculation of the degree of deformity, it was elected to adapt the human equivalent, termed the Cobb angle, as a potential standard reference tool for use in veterinary practice. For the validation of the Cobb angle measurement method, a computerised semi-automatic technique was used and assessed by multiple independent observers. They observed not only that Kyphosis was the most common vertebral column deformity but also that patients with such deformity were found to be more likely to suffer from neurological deficits, more especially if their Cobb angle was above 35 degrees.

Thermography and ultrasonography in back pain diagnosis of equine athletes

The object of the current study was to evaluate the efficacy of thermography and ultrasonography in the diagnosis of thoracolumbar lesions in Quarter Horse athletes and associate the different types of lesions found with the athletic modality practiced. Twenty-four horses were admitted to the Surgery Service for Large Animals of the Veterinary and Animal Science Faculty, UNESP, Botucatu, Brazil, with complaints of back problems. All the horses were submitted for physical examinations to confirm the existence of thoracolumbar alterations and then for thermography and ultrasonography Thermography was used to map the lesioned areas of this region and ultrasonography for lesion characterization. The lesions found were supraspinous desmitis, interspinous desmitis, dorsal intervertebral osteoarthritis, and impingement of the spinous processes or kissing spines. The existence of a relation between the type of event practiced by the horse and the type of lesion found was determined. In horses that competed in the barrel race, a predominance of lesions in the thoracic caudal, thoracolumbar, and cranial lumbar regions occurred, with intervertebral osteoarthritis and interspinous desmitis being the most common. In cutting horses, most of the lesions were observed in the caudal lumbar region, whereas horses competing in reining showed a preferential location for lesions in the middle lumbar, with a predominance of supraspinous desmitis and myositis. Thermography associated with ultrasonography was shown to be efficient in the diagnosis of the thoracolumbar lesions of these horses.

Compound heterozygous mutations in RIPPLY2 associated with vertebral segmentation defects

Segmentation defects of the vertebrae (SDV) are caused by aberrant somite formation during embryogenesis and result in irregular formation of the vertebrae and ribs. The Notch signal transduction pathway plays a critical role in somite formation and patterning in model vertebrates. In humans, mutations in several genes involved in the Notch pathway are associated with SDV, with both autosomal recessive (MESP2, DLL3, LFNG, HES7) and autosomal dominant (TBX6) inheritance. However, many individuals with SDV do not carry mutations in these genes. Using whole-exome capture and massive parallel sequencing, we identified compound heterozygous mutations in RIPPLY2 in two brothers with multiple regional SDV, with appropriate familial segregation. One novel mutation (c.A238T:p.Arg80*) introduces a premature stop codon. In transiently transfected C2C12 mouse myoblasts, the RIPPLY2 mutant protein demonstrated impaired transcriptional repression activity compared with wild-type RIPPLY2 despite similar levels of expression. The other mutation (c.240-4T>G), with minor allele frequency <0.002, lies in the highly conserved splice site consensus sequence 5' to the terminal exon. Ripply2 has a well-established role in somitogenesis and vertebral column formation, interacting at both gene and protein levels with SDV-associated Mesp2 and Tbx6. We conclude that compound heterozygous mutations in RIPPLY2 are associated with SDV, a new gene for this condition. © The Author 2014.

Insights into molecular and cellular events involved in normal and pathological vertebral development and fusion using zebrafish as model organism

The vertebral column and its units, the vertebrae, are fundamental features, characteristic of all vertebrates. Developmental segregation of the vertebral bodies as articulated units is an intrinsic requirement to guarantee the proper function of the spine. Whenever these units become fused either during development or postsegmentation, movement is affected in a more or less severe manner, depending on the number of vertebrae affected. Nevertheless, fusion may occur as part of regular development and as a physiological requirement, like in the tetrapod sacrum or in fish posterior vertebrae forming the urostyle. In order to meet the main objective of this PhD project, which aimed to better understand the molecular and cellular events underlying vertebral fusion under physiological and pathological conditions, a detailed characterization of the vertebral fusion occurring in zebrafish caudal fin region was conducted. This showed that fusion in the caudal fin region comprised 5 vertebral bodies, from which, only fusion between [PU1++U1] and ural2 [U2+] was still traceable during development. This involved bone deposition around the notochord sheath while fusion within the remaining vertebral bodies occur at the level of the notochord sheath, as during the early establishment of the vertebral bodies. A comparison approach between the caudal fin vertebrae and the remaining vertebral column showed conserved features such as the presence of mineralization related proteins as Osteocalcin were identified throughout the vertebral column, independently on the mineralization patterns. This unexpected presence of Osteocalcin in notochord sheath, here identified as Oc1, suggested that this gene, opposing to Oc2, generally associated with bone formation and mature osteoblast activity, is potentially associated with early mineralization events including chordacentrum formation. Nevertheless, major differences between caudal fin region and anterior vertebral bodies considering arch histology and mineralization patterns, led us to use RA as an inductive factor for vertebral fusion, allowing a direct comparison of equivalent structures under normal and fusion events. This fusion phenotype was associated with notochord sheath ectopic mineralization instead of ectopic perichordal bone formation related with increased osteoblast activity, as suggested in previous reports. Additionally, alterations in ECM content, cell adhesion and blood coagulation were discussed as potentially related with the fusion phenotype. Finally, Matrix gla protein, upregulated upon RA treatment and shown to be associated with chordacentrum mineralization sites in regular development, was further described considering its potential function in vertebral formation and pathological fusion. Therefore with this work we propose zebrafish caudal fin vertebral fusion as a potential model to study both congenital and postsegmentation fusion and we present candidate factors and genes that may be further explored in order to clarify whether we can prevent vertebral fusion.

Discoespondilite Canina : Estudo Retrospectivo de 10 Casos Clínicos

A discoespondilite é uma doença infecciosa rara que afecta, de forma crónica, os discos intervertebrais e as extremidades adjacentes dos corpos vertebrais. Geralmente advém de uma infecção disseminada por via hematógena e os agentes mais frequentes são bacterianos e são principalmente Staphylococcus spp., Streptococcus spp., E. Coli e Brucella spp. Também pode ser devida a infecções fúngicas, parasitárias ou migração de corpos estranhos. É caracterizada pela degenerescência do disco intervertebral e lesões escleróticas e proliferativas das extremidades dos corpos vertebrais. O principal sinal clínico desta doença é a hiperestesia paravertebral e alterações da marcha ou relutância ao movimento. Febre e anorexia são menos frequentes do que seria de esperar e os sinais neurológicos são considerados raros. O diagnóstico desta doença é geralmente radiográfico e a determinação do agente pode ser conseguida por cultura de material discal, hemocultura ou urocultura. Podem ser usados meios de imagiologia avançada como TAC e RM para melhor avaliar a extensão das lesões e o envolvimento dos tecidos circunvizinhos. A realização de hemogramas raramente revela alterações significativas embora possa existir leucocitose. O tratamento médico é eficaz em aproximadamente 76% dos casos e deve ser feito com base em cultura e TSA mas, de forma empírica, as cefalosporinas de primeira geração são frequentemente utilizadas. Em alguns casos pode ser necessária a estabilização ou desbridamento cirúrgicos. O estudo retrospectivo realizado no âmbito deste trabalho, teve como objectivo avaliar os sinais clínicos, radiográficos e laboratoriais , assim como o maneio médico e cirúrgico de 10 casos de discoespondilite confirmada radiográfica e clinicamente, num período de 2 anos. Observou-se maior prevalência da doença em machos, em cães jovens e adultos, e raças de grande porte. A região mais afectada foi a junção lombossagrada, e o sinal mais observado foi a dor paraespinhal. No entanto os sinais neurológicos foram mais frequentes do que o descrito. Os agentes isolados em cultura de material discal não foram os mais comuns. O tratamento médico instituído pelos veterinários foi eficaz em 6 dos casos, Foi necessária intervenção cirúrgica em 3 e 1 animal não recuperou totalmente até à conclusão deste estudo.

Análise de parâmetros de força e resistência dos músculos eretores da espinha lombar durante a realização de exercício isométrico em diferentes níveis de esforço

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Desenvolvimento de dispositivos para realização de testes in vitro em coluna vertebral

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Protocolo de exame clínico e tratamento por ondas de choque da dor lombar em equinos da raça quarto de milha

Pós-graduação em Medicina Veterinária - FMVZ

conventional radiography and computed tomography to cervical spine study of adult horses - review

The imaging is essential to aid the diagnosis of horses that have performance decrease associated with any pain or clinical signs related to the vertebral column. Radiography is the first imaging examination performed in these cases, particularly for disorders affecting the cervical region. However, this technique has limitations when the study of subtle changes due to the overlapping of adjacent structures. Computed tomography is a new diagnostic method in Brazil for the study of bone disorders in horses, but it is of great diagnostic value associate with the radiographic examination in order to provide an accurate assessment of the study area, owing to superiority in image quality when compared to conventional radiography. The aim of this study is increase and update knowledge of diagnostic imaging available to investigate cervical disorders in horses.

Vertebral spine of Tamandu-mirim Tamandua tetradactyla

Anatomical studies of the anteater (Tamandua tetradactyla) are scarce and the articles that describe the vertebral column of this species have variations in the number of thoracic and lumbar vertebrae. This study had the objective of adding data to the existing literature about the anatomical composition of an anteater's vertebral column using radiographic and tomographic exams. Based on the cadaver of a young female anteater, we observed a total of 7 cervical, 16 thoracic, 3 lumbar and 5 sacral vertebrae, which differed from the cited literature, especially with respect to the thoracic vertebrae. This demonstrates the need for studies with a larger number of individuals in order to standardize possible anatomic variations for the species.