Principles of Spinal Disease Flashcards
What are the different parts of the spinal cord?
Dura mater and arachnoid, epidural space, subarachnoid space, dorsal/lateral/ventral funiculus of white matter, dorsal/ventral horn of grey matter
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What are the different parts of the vertebrae?
Dorsal spinous process, caudal articular process, cranial articular process, transverse process, spinal foramen/vertebral foramen, transverse foramen
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What are the two parts of the intervertebral discs?
Annulus fibrosus and nucleus pulposus
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Where do the sensory tracts run?
Ipsilaterally in the dorsal and lateral funiculi
Where do the UMN tracts run?
Ipsilaterally in the lateral and ventral funiculi
Where are the LMN cell bodies located?
Ipsilaterally in the ventral horn of the grey matter
What are the functional spinal cord segments?
C1-5
C6-T2
T3-L3
L4-S3/Cd
What is the definition of ataxia?
Incoordination
How does ataxia due to a spinal lesion present?
It has to be sensory so wide based stance, increased stride length, swaying/floating gait and knuckling are seen
What is the definition of paresis?
Decreased voluntary movement
What are the signs of LMN paresis?
Muscle tone decreased, spinal reflexes decreased to absent, stride length normal to decreased, stiff, bunny-hopping gait, +/- collapse
What are the signs of UMN paresis?
Muscle tone is normal to increases in limbs caudal to the lesion, spinal reflexes are normal to increased in limbs caudal to the lesion, stride length normal to increased, spacticity
What clinical signs does a L4-S3 myelopathy show?
LMN signs in back legs
What clinical signs does a T3-L3 myelopathy cause?
UMN signs in back legs
What clinical signs does a C6-T2 myelopathy show?
LMN signs in front legs and UMN signs in back legs
What clinical signs does a C1-C5 myelopathy show?
UMN signs in all limbs
What causes LMN signs in all limbs?
Generalised neuromuscular localisation
What causes UMN signs in all limbs and/or altered mentation and/or CN deficits?
Brainstem lesion
How do you determine the severity of a spinal lesion?
Type of signs/deficits
Proprioceptive lost first, then paresis progressing to plegia and finally superficial pain is lost before deep pain
What is the five finger rule?
Onset Progression Localisation Symmetry Pain
What parts of the signalment can be useful in making a differentials list?
Species, breed, age and sex
What can be used to help make your differentials list?
DAMNITV
degenerative, anomalous, metabolic, neoplastic, inflammatory/infectious, trauma, vascular
