Cervical spondylomyelopathy

Question 1

Whats the common name for cervical spondylomyelopathy?

Answer 1

Wobblers

Question 2

Which breed of dogs are usually affected?

Answer 2

Large and giang breed dogs
Doberman
Great dane

Question 3

When are clinical signs seen?

Answer 3

May develop from an early age

or

Up until 8-9 years old

Question 4

What are clinical signs of cervical spondylomyelopathy?

Answer 4

Abnormal gait
Cervical pain
Forelimb lameness
Muscle atrophy
Pelvic limbs generally worse affected
“two engine” gait - short strided gait or overreaching in the thoracic limbs and marked ataxia or hypermetria in the pelvic limbs

Slow onset, can be acute with external trauma

Question 5

Which structures can be involved?

Answer 5

1) Cronnic degenerative disc disease
2) Aritcular facet dysplasia
3) Vertebral instability or “tipping”
4) Dorsoventral compression by dorsal ligament (lig flavum) and ventral ligaments (dorsal longitudinal and dorsal anulus fibrosus)
5) Combination of above

Question 6

What can we see on radiography?

Answer 6

Vertebral abnormalitites
NArrowed intervertebral disc space
Vertebral malalignement
Ventral spondylosis deformans
Misshaped vertebral body

Question 7

Why is advanced imaging needed and what do we see?

Answer 7

to establish spinal cort compression - seen from one of the following:
- vertebral malformation
- disc or multiple disc and soft tissue structures

Question 8

Treatment?

Answer 8

Conservative
Surgical

Question 9

WHat are the most common risks and complications of surgery?

Answer 9

Hemorrhage
Post surgical deterioration
(seroma)
(implant failure)

Question 10

What is the prognosis?

Answer 10

If no complications occur - good