Spinal Disease

Question 1

What should you do when evaluating the intervertebral foramen

Answer 1

compare the shape and size to adjacent foramen

Question 2

When evaluating individual vertebrae, what structures should you look at

Answer 2

1) Spinous process
2) accessory process
3) Mamillary processes (off cranial articular processes)
4) Cranial and caudal articular processes
5) Articular facet joint
6) Nice lucency between vertebral bodies

Question 3

you should only evaluate the intervertebral disc space when

Answer 3

the disc space is in the center of the image

Question 4

What might be differentials for a dog with back pain

Answer 4

-IVDD
-Discospondylitis
-Aggressive process?
-Trauma
-Soft tissue injury?

Question 5

a benign conditon with questional clinical significance
may lead to back stiffness or be incidental

characterized by
1) smooth, well defined vertebral endplates
2) Smoothly marginated ventral bony proliferation +/- bridging
3) May narrow intervertebral space (with chronic degeneration)

Answer 5

Spondylosis deformans

Question 6

With spondylosis deformans, when might you see narrow intervertebral space

Answer 6

with chronic degeneration

Question 7

What 3 radiographic findings will you see with spondylosis deformans

Answer 7

characterized by
1) smooth, well defined vertebral endplates
2) Smoothly marginated ventral bony proliferation +/- bridging
3) May narrow intervertebral space (with chronic degeneration)

Question 8

What can happen if spondylosis deformans matures

Answer 8

1) Bridge disc space
2) Become ankylosing and fuse the spine in extreme conditions

Question 9

How many cervical vertebrae do dogs and cats have

Answer 9

7

Question 10

How may thoracic vertebrae do dogs and cats have

Answer 10

13

Question 11

How many lumbar vertebrae do dog and cats have

Answer 11

7

Question 12

How many sacral vertebrae do dogs and cats have

Answer 12

3

Question 13

if spondylosis is lateralized, what can occur

Answer 13

impingement of nerve roots

Question 14

inflammation and/or infection of Intervertebral discs and adjacent vertebral body end plates

Answer 14

discospondylitis

Question 15

what are the causes of discospondylitis

Answer 15

1) hematogenous infection is most common
due to UTI, dental disease, endocarditis, etc.
2) Migrating plant awn
3) Penetrating wound
4) Previous surgery with local infection

Question 16

What are the most common pathogens associated with discospondylitis

Answer 16

Staphylococcus species is most common (also see strep, e coli, fungal pathogens (aspergillus, blasto, coccidiodes)

screen for brucella canis due to zoonotic potential

Question 17

T/F: discospondylitis osseous changes are not permanent after treatment

Answer 17

False- osseous changes are permanent, should remodel to smooth bone instead of irregular margins
Sclerosis often remains

Question 18

where the annulus fibrosus can degenerate, allowing movement of the nucleus into the spinal canal
higher incidence in chondrodystrophic breeds

Answer 18

intervertebral disc disease

Question 19

What becomes calcified with IVDD

Answer 19

the nucleus pulposus

Question 20

T/F: all mineralized discs will cause spinal cord impingement

Answer 20

False- need advanced imaging to determine clinically significant site

Question 21

What are the radiographic signs seen with IVDD

Answer 21

1) Calcification of the nucleus of IVD
2) Narrowing of IV disc space
3) Increased opacity of IV foramen
4) Change in shape/size of IV formen
5) Narrowing of articular facet joints
6) Formation of ventral spondylosis deformans in chronic cases

Question 22

what zoonotic disease can cause discospondylitis

Answer 22

brucella canis

Question 23

How do you distinguish spondylosis vs discospondylitis

Answer 23

discospondylitis has irregular endplates due to destruction/lysis of the vertebral endplates. these appear narrowed

spondylosis: smooth marginated ventral body and vertebral end plates are well designed

Question 24

How do we treat discospondylitis

Answer 24

treat with antibiotic and take repetetive radiographs

Question 25

What should you do if you notice malalignment of the spine from trauma

Answer 25

spinal cord injury is applied but extent and severity requires neurological exam

often involves fractures and luxation

typically recommend stabilization surgery as long as spinal cord damage can be managed

Question 26

How might you not need any views of the spine to make a diagnosis and one lateral view is all you need

Answer 26

some trauma patients with spinal fracture and luxation- this provides all the info we need to make a diagnosis

Question 27

complete disruption stabilizing ligaments

Answer 27

luxation

Question 28

aggressive spinal lesions

Answer 28

1) Neoplasia: primary, metastatic, diffuse/multicentric

2) Infection: bacterial and fungal

Question 29

you notice a focal decrease in vertebral opacity, what is the likely diagnosis

Answer 29

likely neoplasia (less likely to be infection)

If solitary vertebra, think primary neoplasia but look for metastic disease

Question 30

What can the focal decrease in vertebral opacity seen in neoplasia lead to

Answer 30

pathological fracture

Question 31

What spinal radiological findings will you see with neoplasia

Answer 31

focal decrease in vertebral opacity
focal increase in vertebral opacity

Question 32

When might you see focal increase vertebral opacity of a signle vertebra

Answer 32

1) Chronic compression fracture
2) Osteomyelitis
3) Neoplasia
4) Possibly degenerative change

Question 33

Neoplasia’s characteristics of aggressive bone disease

Answer 33

1) focal ubcrease ub vertebral opacity
2) irregular periosteal proliferation
3) areas of lysis
4) long zone of transition

Question 34

what are your differentials for multifocal decrease in vertebral opacity (ie multiple vertebrae affected)

Answer 34

1) Metastasis (Osteosarcoma, carcinoma)
2) Multiple myeloma