Vertebral fracture and dislocation patterns, location of injuries, and 6-month clinical outcomes in cats: A retrospective study https://doi.org/10.12982/VIS.2022.030
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
This study investigates the vertebral fracture and dislocation patterns, spinal cord segment injury location, paretic grading, and the 6-month outcome in cats at a university veterinary hospital. The medical records and radiographs of cats with traumatic injuries were reviewed from October 2016 to December 2019. Eighty-nine cats were diagnosed with vertebral fracture and dislocation. The most damaged location was T3–L3 (36/89, 40.45%), followed by L4–L7 (33/89, 37.07%), S1–S3 (18/89, 20.22), C1–C5 (1/89, 1.12%), and C6–T2 (1/89, 1.12%). The patterns of vertebral damage could be classified as burst/compression (24/89, 26.96%), subluxation (19/89, 21.35%), complete luxation (16/89, 17.97%), combined fracture, and luxation (19/89, 21.35%), transverse fracture (10/69, 11.23%), and hyperextension (1/89, 1.12%). No hyperflexion-damaged pattern was detected in 89 cats. The T3–L7 lesion data was thoroughly examined (69 cats). Most of them preferred non-surgical treatment (33/69, 47.83%). Only 30 cats in the non-surgical group and 4 cats in the surgical group had tracking information. Six months after treatment, 60% of cats in the non-surgical group had better outcomes (18/30), while 66.67% of cats in the surgical group had better outcomes (4/6). Two cats in the surgical group had died of parvovirus infection. The mortality rate increased from 16.67% (6/36) at 3 months to 25% (9/36) at 6 months after treatment. All cats with paretic
grade 5 had a poor prognosis. Most cats with paretic grades 1–4 receiving treatment had better clinical outcomes within 6 months and gradually improved. Follow-up should be performed for >6 months.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Publishing an article with open access in Veterinary Integrative Sciences leaves the copyright with the author. The article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 (CC-BY 4.0), which allows users to read, copy, distribute and make derivative works from the material, as long as the author of the original work is cited.
References
Ali, L.B., 2013. Incidence, occurrence, classification and outcome of small animal fractures: A retrospective study (2005-2010). Int. J. Vet. Sci. 7(3), 191-196.
Bagley, R.S., 2000. Spinal fracture or luxation. Vet. Clin. North. Am. Small. Anim. Pract. 30(1),133-153.
Bali, M.S., Lang, J., Jaggy, A., Spreng, D., Doherr, M.G., Forterre, F., 2009. Comparative study of vertebral fractures and luxations in dogs and cats. Vet. Comp. Orthop. Traumatol. 22(1), 47-53.
Bruce, C.W., Brisson, B.A., Gyselinck, K., 2008. Spinal fracture and luxation in dogs and cats:A retrospective evaluation of 95 cases. Vet Comp Orthop Traumatol. 21(3), 280-284.
Carlson, G.D., Minato, Y., Okada, A., Gorden, C.D., Warden, K.E., Barbeau, J.M., Biro, C.L.,Bahnuik, E., Bohlman, H.H., Lamanna, J.C., 1997. Early time-dependent decompression for spinal cord injury: Vascular mechanisms of recovery. J. Neurotrauma. 14(12), 951-962.
Conroy, M., O'Neill, D., Boag, A., Church, D., Brodbelt, D., 2019. Epidemiology of road traffic accidents in cats attending emergency-care practices in the uk. J. Small Anim. Pract.60(3), 146-152.
Davis, G.J., Brown, D.C., 2002. Prognostic indicators for time to ambulation after surgical decompression in nonambulatory dogs with acute thoracolumbar disk extrusions: 112 cases. Vet. Surg. 31(6), 513-518.
Dvorak, M.F., Noonan, V.K., Fallah, N., Fisher, C.G., Finkelstein, J., Kwon, B.K., Rivers, C.S., Ahn, H., Paquet, J., Tsai, E.C., Townson, A., Attabib, N., Bailey, C.S., Christie, S.D., Drew, B., Fourney, D.R., Fox, R., Hurlbert, R.J., Johnson, M.G., Linassi, A.G., Parent, S., Fehlings, M.G., 2015. The influence of time from injury to surgery on motor recovery and length of hospital stay in acute traumatic spinal cord injury: An observational canadian cohort study. J. Neurotrauma. 32(9), 645-654.
El Tecle, N.E., Dahdaleh, N.S., Hitchon, P.W., 2016. Timing of surgery in spinal cord injury.Spine. 41(16), E995-E1004.
Fehlings, M.G., Wilson, J.R., 2010. Timing of surgical intervention in spinal trauma: What does the evidence indicate?. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 35(21 Suppl), S159-160.
Fluehmann, G., Doherr, M.G., Jaggy, A., 2006. Canine neurological diseases in a referral hospital population between 1989 and 2000 in switzerland. J. Small Anim. Pract. 47(10), 582-587.
Fossum, T.W., Duprey, L.P., O'Connor, D., 2007. Small animal surgery. Mosby elsevier, St. Louis.
Gallucci, A., Dragone, L., Al Kafaji, T., Menchetti, M., Del Magno, S., Gandini, G. 2020. Functional outcome in cats with acute severe injuries of the thoracolumbar spinal cord following intensive rehabilitative physiotherapy. Retrieve from https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-47933/v2
Gallucci, A., Dragone, L., Al Kafaji, T., Menchetti, M., Del Magno, S., Gandini, G., 2021.Outcome in cats with acute onset of severe thoracolumbar spinal cord injury following physical rehabilitation. Vet. Sci. 8(2), 22.
Garosi, L. 2013. Lesion localization and differential diagnosis. In: Platt, S.R., Olby, N.J. (Eds.), Bsava manual of canine and feline neurology. British small animal veterinary association, Quedgeley, 25-35.
Glennie, R.A., Bailey, C.S., Tsai, E.C., Noonan, V.K., Rivers, C.S., Fourney, D.R., Ahn, H., Kwon, B.K., Paquet, J., Drew, B., Fehlings, M.G., Attabib, N., Christie, S.D., Finkelstein, J., Hurlbert, R.J., Parent, S., Dvorak, M.F., 2017. An analysis of ideal and actual time to surgery after traumatic spinal cord injury in canada. Spinal Cord. 55(6),618-623.
Grasmueck, S., Steffen, F., 2004. Survival rates and outcomes in cats with thoracic and lumbar spinal cord injuries due to external trauma. J. Small Anim. Pract. 45(6), 284-288.
Jeffery, N.D., 2010. Vertebral fracture and luxation in small animals. Vet. Clin. North. Am.Small. Anim. Pract. 40(5), 809-828.
Kishan, S., Vives, M.J., Reiter, M.F., 2005. Timing of surgery following spinal cord injury. J.Spinal. Cord. Med. 28(1), 11-19.
Lewis, D.D., Stampley, A., Bellah, J.R., Donner, G.S., Ellison, G.W., 1989. Repair of sixth lumbar vertebral fracture-luxations, using transilial pins and plastic spinous-process plates in six dogs. J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. 194(4), 538-542.
McKee, W.M., 1990. Spinal trauma in dogs and cats: A review of 51 cases. Vet. Rec. 126(12),285-289.
Olby, N., Levine, J., Harris, T., Muñana, K., Skeen, T., Sharp, N., 2003. Long-term functional outcome of dogs with severe injuries of the thoracolumbar spinal cord: 87 cases (1996-2001). J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. 222(6), 762-769.
Olby, N., 2010. The pathogenesis and treatment of acute spinal cord injuries in dogs. Vet. Clin. North. Am. Small. Anim. Pract. 40(5), 791-807.
Owen, M., 2007. Small animal spinal disorders: Diagnosis and surgery - edited by Nicholas J.H. Sharp and Simon J. Wheeler. J. Small. Anim. Pract. 48(2), 126-126.
Phillips, I.R., 1979. A survey of bone fractures in the dog and cat. J. Small. Anim. Pract. 20(11),661-674.
Rabinowitz, R.S., Eck, J.C., Harper, C.M., Jr., Larson, D.R., Jimenez, M.A., Parisi, J.E.,Friedman, J.A., Yaszemski, M.J., Currier, B.L., 2008. Urgent surgical decompression compared to methylprednisolone for the treatment of acute spinal cord injury: A randomized prospective study in beagle dogs. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 33(21),2260-2268.
Shores, A., 1992. Spinal trauma. Pathophysiology and management of traumatic spinal injuries.Vet. Clin. North. Am. Small. Anim. Pract. 22(4), 859-888.
Simpson, S.A., Syring, R., Otto, C.M., 2009. Severe blunt trauma in dogs: 235 cases (1997-2003). J. Vet. Emerg. Crit. Care (San Antonio). 19(6), 588-602.
Tarlov, I.M., Klinger, H., 1954. Spinal cord compression studies. Ii. Time limits for recovery after acute compression in dogs. AMA Arch. Neurol. Psychiatry. 71(3), 271-290.