Aangeboren afwijkingen van de wervels bij de hond

Abstract

In this review article, a overview is given of the congenital pathologies of vertebrae in the dog. These pathologies are common in dogs and can be divided in two major groups: neural tube defects or spinal dysraphism, such as spina bifida with or without meningocoele and dermal sinus tract, and congenital anomalies of the vertebral column. The latter group can be subdivided in malformations originating in the embryonic period of development, such as butterfly vertebra, mediolateral wedged vertebra and transitional vertebra, or in the foetal period, such as block vertebra and dorsoventral wedged vertebra. Congenital vertebral anomalies can be incidental findings on radiographs or CT, but sometimes they can be the underlying cause of a clinical, mostly neurological problem. Due to pressure on the spinal cord, symptoms, such as pelvic limb ataxia, paresis, loss of spinal reflexes, incontinence and atrophy of the pelvic limbs may occur.

Cervical vertebral malformations in 9 dogs: radiological findings, treatment options and outcomes

“…A fused vertebra (‘block vertebrae’) is the result of failure of segmentation, attributed to abnormalities of the intersegmental arteries in the developing embryo [29, 30]. The malformation may occur at any point along the vertebral column and may involve part or all of a vertebrae [31, 32].…”

“…The malformation may occur at any point along the vertebral column and may involve part or all of a vertebrae [31, 32]. Often the fused vertebra is shorter in length than the equivalent number of normal segments, and abnormal angulation or stenosis of the vertebral canal may be present [29, 31]. A fused or ‘block’ vertebra is usually an incidental radiographic finding [31].…”

Congenital dynamic cervical instability in a dog: the role of computed tomography and 3D printing to plan and optimize the surgical approach

“…This case proved to be a challenge because the animal had severe cervical vertebral anomalies with significant clinical repercussions, which is a situation that is rarely described in the literature in the canine species (De Rycke & Saunders, 2017;Westworth & Sturges, 2016). Biomechanical stress due to overload and dynamic vertebral instability (De Rycke & Saunders, 2017) represented by the displacement of the bone axis between the C2 vertebra adjacent to the block vertebrae (C3-T3) determined not only a motor neurological dysfunction that did not allow an adequate quality of life but also the risk of imminent death if certain movements were executed abruptly.…”

Anatomical variations in cervical vertebrae in two species of neotropical canids: What is the meaning?

“…Ambiguous or transitional vertebrae are considered rare in the cervical‐thoracic junction, occurring more frequently in the thoracolumbar transition (Barone, 1986). They are congenital anomalies defined when characteristics of two adjacent segments appear in the same vertebra, uni‐ or bilaterally (De Rycke & Saunders, 2017). The presence of an elongated transverse process in C7, with the appearance of a rib, was reported in three dogs (2.1%), two unilaterally and one bilaterally, between 145 vertebral column dissection (Morgan, 1968).…”