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
. 2022 May 6;12(9):1187.
doi: 10.3390/ani12091187.

Ultrasonographic Imaging Protocol and Sonoanatomy of the Lumbar Spine in Healthy Dogs

Justyna Abako  1 , Piotr Holak  1 , Joanna Bajon  1 , Yauheni Zhalniarovich  1
Affiliations

Ultrasonographic Imaging Protocol and Sonoanatomy of the Lumbar Spine in Healthy Dogs

Justyna Abako et al. Animals (Basel). .

Abstract

Ultrasound is an imaging technique commonly used in veterinary medicine. Ultrasound devices are widely available, their means of examination are relatively short and cheap, and they do not generate ionizing radiation. In addition, ultrasound generally does not need to be performed under general anesthesia. This study was performed on 23 canine cadavers with full clinical histories and with no confirmed pathological changes in the spine region. The imaging modalities were established in dogs in lateral recumbency, with the selected side being the uppermost angle, in a neutral position. All dogs were examined in the transverse and longitudinal planes. Sacral crest, intertransverse ligament, vertebral canal floor, vertebral body, and intervertebral discs were only visible in the longitudinal plane. Vertebral arch, supraspinal ligament, dorsal wall of the vertebral canal and muscles were visualized only in the transverse plane. This article provides a brief and relatively easy-to-perform protocol for ultrasound imaging of the lumbar spine of dogs. In addition, it presents a detailed description of the sonoanatomy of the area under investigation.

Keywords: anatomy; canine; spinal cord; ultrasound (USG).

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Three-dimension computed tomography (3D CT) scan (A) and ultrasonographic image along the longitudinal midline plane (B) of the lumbar spine of the dog. The red triangle indicates the location on the spine where the probe was applied.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The 3D CT scan (A) and ultrasonographic image of the transverse midline plane (B) of the lumbar vertebra of the dog. The red triangle indicates the place on the spine where the probe was applied.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The 3D CT scan (A) and ultrasonographic image of the longitudinal paramedian plane on the dorsal side (B) of the lumbar spine of the dog. The red triangle indicates the place on the spine where the probe was applied.
Figure 4
Figure 4
The 3D CT scan (A) and ultrasonographic image of the longitudinal paramedian plane on ventral side (B) of the lumbar spine of the dog. A red triangle indicates the place in the spine where the probe is applied.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Ultrasonographic image of the lumbo-sacral spine of a dog in the longitudinal midline plane. EM—epaxial muscles; SC—sacral crest.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Ultrasonographic image of the lumbar spine of a dog in the longitudinal paramedian plane on the ventral side: EM—epaxial muscles; ID—intervertebral disc; VB—vertebra body; F—floor of the vertebral canal.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Ultrasonographic image of the lumbar vertebra of a dog in the transverse midline plane: 1—iliocostalis and longissimus muscles; 2—spinalis and semispinalis muscle; 3—multifidus muscle; SP—spinal process; AP—articular process; VL—vertebral lamina; TP—transverse process; F—floor of the vertebral canal.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Ultrasonographic image of the lumbar spine of a dog in the longitudinal paramedian plane on the dorsal side: AP—articular process; FJ—facet joint.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Ultrasonographic image of the lumbar spine of a dog in the longitudinal paramedian plane on the lateral side: EM—epaxial muscles; IL—intertransverse ligament; TP—transverse process.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Levy M., Gaschen L., Rademacher N., Bragulla H. Technique for ultrasound-guided intraarticular cervical articular process injection in the dog. Vet. Radiol. Ultrasound. 2014;55:435–440. doi: 10.1111/vru.12143. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Brisson B.A. Intervertebral Disc Disease in Dogs. Vet. Clin. N. Am. Small Anim. Pract. 2010;40:829–858. doi: 10.1016/j.cvsm.2010.06.001. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Boursier J.-F., Fournet A., Bassanino J., Manassero M., Bedu A.-S., Leperlier D. Ultrasonography is more accurate than percutaneous palpation for identifying targeted thoracolumbar intervertebral disc spaces in dogs. Vet. Radiol. Ultrasound. 2018;59:749–757. doi: 10.1111/vru.12672. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Nanai B., Lyman R., Bichsel P.S. Use of intraoperative ultrasonography in canine spinal cord lesions. Vet. Radiol. Ultrasound. 2007;48:254–261. doi: 10.1111/j.1740-8261.2007.00239.x. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Bonelli M., Tudury E., Santos C., Araújo B., Diogo C., Silva A., Costa F. Intraoperative ultrasonography of the vertebral canal in dogs. Arq. Bras. Med. Veterinária Zootec. 2015;67:655–663. doi: 10.1590/1678-4162-7494. - DOI

LinkOut - more resources