on behalf of American College of Veterinary Surgeons. Padding is added under the caudal cervical spine to have the spine parallel to the x-ray table. The thoracic limbs are pulled caudally to avoid superimposition of the shoulder joint over the caudal cervical spine. Veterinary Surgery published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. The ears should be pulled forward so that they are not superimposed over the atlantoaxial junction. The fusion distraction technique reported here can be used to achieve spinal fusion with a good long-term outcome. Instrumented spinal fusion in dogs with disc-associated CCSM resulted in owner satisfaction and radiographic evidence of interbody spinal fusion in all dogs. Spinal fusion was confirmed by μCT and histopathology in two cervical spine segments that became available at 22 and 40 months postoperatively. Radiographic evidence of bony fusion between vertebral bodies was noted in all dogs. The anatomical conformation of the cervical spine in most dogs does not permit considerable axial rotation within each functional spinal unit. In seven of nine dogs, infraclinical pathology was observed in adjacent segment, associated with implants engaging adjacent intervertebral discs. In NCD dogs, IVD degeneration commonly occurs at the caudal, cervical and lumbosacral spine, especially in large breeds (Hansen, 1952, Seiler et al., 2002, Rossi et al., 2004, da Costa et al., 2006). Implant failure was evident in four dogs, and plates were removed in two dogs. According to CT, the volume of bone (mean ± SD) through the cage was 79.5% ± 14.3%, including compact bone (53.0% ± 23.4%). 01) in all dogs and in eight of nine dogs, respectively. The Helsinki pain score and neurological Griffith score improved (P <. Follow-up included the Helsinki pain score questionnaire, neurological grading, radiography, computed tomography (CT), and micro-CT (μCT) with subsequent histopathology (two dogs).Ĭlinical follow-up was obtained between 9 and 51 months (27.4 ± 13.4 months). The surgery objective was spinal distraction by implantation of a SynCage and fixation with two Unilock plates. Medical records of dogs treated for disc-associated CCSM (2013-2016) were reviewed. To report the long-term outcome of nine dogs treated for caudal cervical spondylomyelopathy (CCSM) with surgical spinal fusion.

X ray of dogs cervical spine