Couto Francisca, Tabanez Joana, Rose Jeremy, Driver Colin
Lumbry Park Veterinary Specialists, Hampshire, United Kingdom.
Front Vet Sci. 2025 Jan 7;11:1504477. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1504477. eCollection 2024.
This study aimed to evaluate the medium-term outcome following spinal cord decompression and instrumented fixation of single-level congenital thoracolumbar vertebral malformations, characterized by combined failures of segmentation and formation, causing thoracolumbar myelopathy in three large-breed dogs.
This was a retrospective clinical study.
The animals involved in the study were three large-breed dogs.
Electronic patient records were retrospectively reviewed for adult large-breed dogs (>1 year) (>25 kg) with thoracolumbar myelopathy and a radiologic diagnosis of spinal cord compression associated with thoracolumbar vertebral malformation. The examination, diagnostic imaging, surgical management, and outcomes are described. The medium-term outcome was determined based on the neurological examination and follow-up imaging studies conducted up to 12 months post-operation.
Three large-breed dogs were identified, presenting with progressive, non-painful T3-L3 spinal cord segment disease. Diagnosis was made using MRI and CT, which revealed single-level complex congenital vertebral malformation with combined failures of segmentation and formation in the T8-L1 region. Surgical management consisted of ventral cord decompression by bilateral mini-hemilaminectomy and partial corpectomy and vertebral fixation. Temporary postoperative neurological deterioration was observed in two cases. Follow-up was conducted at 6 weeks (examination) and 3 (examination), 6, and 12 months (examination and CT) postoperatively, and improved neurological function was confirmed, with all cases being ambulatory with persistent, mild paraparesis.
This retrospective study demonstrates the successful medium-term outcome following surgical management of complex thoracolumbar vertebral malformations in large-breed dogs.
本研究旨在评估单节段先天性胸腰椎椎体畸形（其特征为分节和形成联合缺陷）导致三只大型犬胸腰椎脊髓病，在进行脊髓减压和器械固定后的中期结果。
这是一项回顾性临床研究。
参与研究的动物为三只大型犬。
对患有胸腰椎脊髓病且经放射学诊断为与胸腰椎椎体畸形相关的脊髓压迫的成年大型犬（>1岁，>25kg）的电子病历进行回顾性审查。描述了检查、诊断成像、手术管理及结果。中期结果基于术后长达12个月进行的神经学检查和随访成像研究来确定。
确定了三只大型犬，表现为进行性、无痛性T3 - L3脊髓节段疾病。通过MRI和CT进行诊断，结果显示T8 - L1区域存在单节段复杂先天性椎体畸形，伴有分节和形成联合缺陷。手术管理包括通过双侧微型半椎板切除术和部分椎体切除术进行腹侧脊髓减压以及椎体固定。两例出现术后暂时性神经功能恶化。术后分别在6周（检查）、3个月（检查）、6个月和12个月（检查和CT）进行随访，神经功能得到改善，所有病例均能行走，但仍有持续性轻度截瘫。
这项回顾性研究表明，大型犬复杂胸腰椎椎体畸形手术治疗后的中期结果是成功的。
