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. 2018 Jan;20(1):38-44.
doi: 10.1177/1098612X17709645. Epub 2017 May 22.

Effect of intraoperative positioning on the diameter of the vertebral canal in cats during perineal urethrostomy (cadaveric study)

Pavel Slunsky  1 , Mathias Brunnberg  1 , Shenja Lodersted  1 , Leo Brunnberg  1
Affiliations

Effect of intraoperative positioning on the diameter of the vertebral canal in cats during perineal urethrostomy (cadaveric study)

Pavel Slunsky et al. J Feline Med Surg. 2018 Jan.

Abstract

Objectives The objective of this study was to quantify the changes in the diameter of the vertebral canal in the lumbosacral and sacrococcygeal column (L6-Co2) in cats in dorsal and ventral recumbency, simulating real body positioning during a perineal urethrostomy. Methods Twenty-one male feline cadavers were enrolled in the study. All feline cadavers were evaluated by CT. Examinations were performed with the cadaver in a neutral position and dorsal and ventral recumbency. Sagittal vertebral canal diameters (VCDs) were obtained by measuring the distance between the ventral and dorsal aspects of the vertebral canal in the middle of the intervertebral space. Results A comparison of the VCDs between L6 and L7, L7 and S1, S3 and Co1 and Co1 and Co2 in neutral position vs dorsal recumbency revealed a reduction of 0.27 mm (14.6%; P <0.001) between S3 and Co1 and 0.26 mm (18.1%; P <0.001) between Co1 and Co2. No differences were seen when comparing L6-L7 and L7-S1. The VCDs were decreased in all segments when comparing neutral with ventral recumbency. This study revealed a reduction of 0.13 mm between L6 and L7 (3.3%; P = 0.003), 0.14 mm between L7 and S1 (4.1%; P = 0.003), 0.61 mm between S3 and Co1 (32.5%; P <0.001) and 0.63 mm between Co1 and Co2 (44.1%; P <0.001). Comparison of the VCD between dorsal and ventral recumbency in L6-L7, L7-S1, S3-Co1 and Co1-Co2 revealed a decrease in the VCDs in ventral recumbency of 0.13 mm (3.3%; P <0.001), 0.12 mm (3.6%; P <0.001), 0.34 mm (21.0%; P <0.001) and 0.37 mm (31.7%; P <0.001), respectively. Conclusions and relevance The results provide evidence that, from an anatomical point of view, perineal urethrostomy performed in dorsal recumbency is superior to ventral recumbency, but further clinical studies to verify these findings are necessary.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
(a) Dorsal recumbency. The cadaver is secured onto the testing apparatus in dorsal recumbency. The thoracic limbs are pulled in a caudal direction and the pelvic limbs in a cranial direction with gauze. (b) The tail hangs free over the apparatus’s trailing edge
Figure 2
Figure 2
(a) Ventral recumbency. The cadaver is secured onto the testing apparatus in ventral recumbency. The thoracic limbs are pulled in a cranial direction and the pelvic limbs are tied over the edge of the apparatus in a ventrolateral position. (b) The tail is hyperextended and secured with tape to the apparatus
Figure 3
Figure 3
Sagittal vertebral canal diameter: measurement of the vertebral canal diameter (mm) in neutral position
Figure 4
Figure 4
Mean (and SD) vertebral canal diameter (mm) between L6 and L7 in neutral position, dorsal and ventral recumbency
Figure 5
Figure 5
Mean (and SD) vertebral canal diameter (mm) between L7 and S1 in neutral position, dorsal and ventral recumbency
Figure 6
Figure 6
Mean (and SD) vertebral canal diameter (mm) between S3 and Co1 in neutral position, dorsal and ventral recumbency
Figure 7
Figure 7
Mean (and SD) vertebral canal diameter (mm) between Co1 and Co2 in neutral position, dorsal and ventral recumbency
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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