Open AccessPrevalence and Risk Factors for Presumptive Ascending/Descending Myelomalacia in Dogs after Thoracolumbar Intervertebral Disk Herniation
Author(s) -
Balducci F.,
Canal S.,
Contiero B.,
Bernardini M.
Publication year - 2017
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.14656
Subject(s) - medicine , univariate analysis , complication , intramedullary rod , medical record , magnetic resonance imaging , intervertebral disk , surgery , retrospective cohort study , radiology , multivariate analysis , lumbar
Background Ascending/descending myelomalacia ( ADMM ) is a severe complication of thoracolumbar intervertebral disk herniation ( TL ‐ IVDH ) in dogs. Hypothesis/Objectives To investigate the prevalence and risk factors for ADMM in nonambulatory dogs with surgically treated TL ‐ IVDH . Animals Six‐hundred and fifty‐two client‐owned dogs evaluated for TL ‐ IVDH that underwent decompressive spinal surgery. Methods Retrospective medical record review from February 2007 through December 2015. Results Thirteen dogs developed ADMM , with an overall prevalence of 2.0%. The prevalence of ADMM was 0% in dogs with neurological signs graded 1 or 2 at admission or before magnetic resonance imaging ( MRI ) or surgical procedures, 0.6% in dogs with neurological signs graded 3, 2.7% in dogs with neurological signs graded 4, and 14.5% in dogs with neurological signs graded 5. Age (<5.8 years), neurological status (grade 5), site of disk herniation (L5‐L6), duration of clinical signs before becoming nonambulatory (<24 hours), detection of intramedullary T2‐weighted (T2W) hyperintensity, and a T2 length ratio >4.57 were significant risk factors in the univariate analysis for development of ADMM . Conclusions and Clinical Importance The factors identified in this study may be useful for the prediction of ADMM . Multicenter studies with a higher number of dogs with ADMM are required to confirm these data.