Kapitel 31 - cervical spinal cord Flashcards
What sensory dysfunction do we see in C1-C5 spinal cord lesions?
Proprioceptive ataxia affecting all four limbs equally. Postural reactions decreased to absent in all four limbs or in ipsilateral thoracic and pelvic limbs. Nociception may be absent in tetraplegic animals, but this is very rare.
What is a “two engine gait”?
When you have different stride length in the thoracic and the pelvic limb. Eg. Lesion in C6-T2 results in a increased stride length in thoracic limb and decreased in pelvic.
What is the central spinal cord syndrome?
When an animal presents with more profound motor dysfunction in the thoracic limbs than in the pelvic limbs. The disparity is often due to a lesion affecting the central aspect of the spinal cord, which would affect the white matter deeper in the spinal cord, as well as the gray matter. This has been termed central spinal cord syndrome. If the pelvic limbs are normal in their function, this indicates a peripheral lesion affecting the C6-T2 spinal nerve roots, spinal nerves, brachial plexus, or the named nerves of the thoracic limb, such as brachial plexus trauma or neuritis.
What is the specific location of the lesion in Horner’s syndrome?
T1-T3
Name Possible congenital or developmental anomalies of the atlantoaxial joint
dysplasia (34% of dogs), hypoplasia or aplasia (46% of dogs), dorsal angulation, and separation of the dens, as well as absence of the transverse ligament
Which dogs are most effected by anomalies of the atlantoaxial joint
Small breed dogs: Yorkshire Terriers, Chihuahuas, Miniature Poodles, Pomeranians, and Pekingese,
(rare in cats)
How many dogs with atlantoaxical subluxation have a normal dens?
Ca 25% (24%)
What are some main differential diagnosis of atlantooccipital subluxation?
Meningomyelitis, syringohydromyelia, and discospondylitis
Name the surgical techniques used to surgically stabilize atlantoaxial subluxation
a. Atolantoaxial wiering
b. Dorsal cross-pinning
c. Kishigami tension band
d. Transarticular screws and pins
e. Ventral plating
What is the complication rate in dorsal vs ventral stabilization?
71% dorsal 53 % ventral
What is the perioperative mortality rate associated with atlantoaxial stabilization techniques?
4-30%
A 5 year old cat is pretented to the clinic after suspected trauma. The cat is non-weightbearing and have horners syndrome ipsilateral to the limb. X-ray shows no fractures. What is your suspected diagnosis?
Injuries or avulsions to the spinal nerve roots that compose the caudal portion of the brachial plexus (C8-T2 spinal nerve roots; radial, median, and ulnar nerves).
The limb may be carried in a flexed position because the musculocutaneous, axillary, and suprascapular nerves are intact, but weight bearing is impossible without the ability to extend the elbow joint and carpus; this inability is due to paralysis of the triceps brachii muscle
Where is the most common site of cervical disk herniation in chondrodystrophic dogs?
C2-C4
What are the neurological findings in cervical IVDD?
Neurologic examination findings are often normal in dogs with cervical intervertebral disc extrusion; severe cervical hyperesthesia and lameness or root signature are the most common clinical signs
Describe the imagine and your proposed diagnosis. How would you treat this conditions?
T2 W sagittal MRI image of the cervical vertebral colum showing a hyperintense area between C5-C6 causing moderate compression of the spinal cord.
