Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 Jul;49(5):860-869.
doi: 10.1111/vsu.13409. Epub 2020 Mar 12.

Effect of durotomy in dogs with thoracolumbar disc herniation and without deep pain perception in the hind limbs

Fumitaka Takahashi  1   2   3 , Ayaka Honnami  1   2 , Minae Toki  2 , Ayako Dosaka  4 , Yukihiro Fujita  5 , Yasushi Hara  3 , Shinya Yamaguchi  1   2   3
Affiliations

Effect of durotomy in dogs with thoracolumbar disc herniation and without deep pain perception in the hind limbs

Fumitaka Takahashi et al. Vet Surg. 2020 Jul.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the effectiveness of durotomy as an adjunct to surgical decompression in dogs with thoracolumbar intervertebral disc herniation (TL-IVDH) and loss of deep pain perception (DPP) in the hind limbs.

Study design: Retrospective study.

Animals: Dogs (n = 116) with TL-IVDH and loss of DPP treated with hemilaminectomy.

Methods: Signalment, surgical site, recovery rate, incidence of progressive myelomalacia (PMM), time elapsed from onset of paraplegia of the hind limbs to surgery (TPS), and the length of area of hyperintensity of the spinal cord on magnetic resonance T2-weighted images compared with L2 vertebral body length (LHT2) were compared between dogs treated with hemilaminectomy alone and those treated with adjunct durotomy. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to test the association between outcomes and the external view of the spinal cord parenchyma after durotomy.

Results: The percentage of dogs regaining ambulation was greater when durotomy was performed (56.9%) than when dogs were treated with hemilaminectomy alone (38.5%; P = .04). In the hemilaminectomy group, 14 dogs died of suspected PMM, while no PMM was detected in the durotomy group. Durotomy, breed, surgical site, and LHT2 influenced recovery. No association was detected between age, sex, body weight, and TPS and recovery.

Conclusion: Performing a durotomy in combination with decompression improved the return to function and prevented PMM in our clinical setting.

Clinical significance: Surgeons should consider durotomy in dogs with TL-IVDH and loss of DPP in hind limbs to improve surgical outcome.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

REFERENCES

    1. Brisson BA. Intervertebral disc disease in dogs. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. 2010;40:829-858.
    1. Jeffery ND, Levine JM, Olby NJ, Stein VM. Intervertebral disk degeneration in dogs: consequences, diagnosis, treatment, and future directions. J Vet Intern Med. 2013;27:1318-1333.
    1. Aikawa T, Shibata M, Asano M, Hara Y, Tagawa M, Orima H. A comparison of thoracolumbar intervertebral disc extrusion in French Bulldogs and Dachshunds and association with congenital vertebral anomalies. Vet Surg. 2014;43:301-307.
    1. Bladucci F, Canal S, Contiero B, Bernardini M. Prevalence and risk factors for presumptive ascending/descending myelomalacia in dogs after thoracolumbar intervertebral disk herniation. J Vet Intern Med. 2017;31:498-504.
    1. Castel A, Olby NJ, Mariani CL, Muñana KR, Early PJ. Clinical characteristics of dogs with progressive myelomalacia following acute intervertebral disc extrusion. J Vet Intern Med. 2017;31:1782-1789.

LinkOut - more resources