Open AccessCervical Vertebral Trabecular Bone Mineral Density in Great Danes With and Without Osseous‐Associated Cervical Spondylomyelopathy
Author(s) -
Armstrong J.,
Costa R.C.,
MartinVaquero P.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of veterinary internal medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.356
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1939-1676
pISSN - 0891-6640
DOI - 10.1111/jvim.12444
Subject(s) - medicine , hounsfield scale , bone mineral , cervical vertebrae , nuclear medicine , trabecular bone , bone density , osteoarthritis , quantitative computed tomography , osteoporosis , anatomy , computed tomography , radiology , pathology , alternative medicine
Background Great Danes ( GD s) with osseous‐associated cervical spondylomyelopathy ( CSM ) have osteoarthritis ( OA ) of the cervical vertebrae. OA is often associated with increases in bone mineral density ( BMD ) in people and dogs. Hypothesis/Objectives To compare the trabecular BMD of the cervical vertebrae between clinically normal (control) GD s and GD s with osseous‐associated CSM by using computed tomography ( CT ). We hypothesized that the vertebral trabecular BMD of CSM ‐affected GD s would be higher than that of control GD s. Animals Client‐owned GD s: 12 controls, 10 CSM affected. Methods Prospective study. CT of the cervical vertebral column was obtained alongside a calibration phantom. By placing a circular region of interest at the articular process joints, vertebral body, pedicles, and within each rod of the calibration phantom, trabecular BMD was measured in Hounsfield units, which were converted to diphosphate equivalent densities. Trabecular BMD measurements were compared between CSM ‐affected and control dogs, and between males and females within the control group. Results Differences between CSM ‐affected and control dogs were not significant for the articular processes (mean = −39; P = .37; 95% CI: −102 to 24), vertebral bodies (mean = −62; P = .08; 95% CI: −129 to 6), or pedicles (mean = −36; P = .51; 95% CI: −105 to 33). Differences between female and male were not significant. Conclusions and Clinical Importance This study revealed no difference in BMD between control and CSM ‐affected GD s. Based on our findings no association was detected between cervical OA and BMD in GD s with CSM .