Thoracolumbar malformations or injuries and neurological manifestations

Anatomical variation of the spinous and transverse processes in the caudal cervical vertebrae and the first thoracic vertebra in horses

“…Their age ranged from 6 months to 34 years (median 8 years; mean 9.25 years). The horses were used for a variety of disciplines: showjumping (125), general purpose (45), racing (42), endurance (18), showing (12), Western performance (11), dressage (9), eventing (6) and miscellaneous (2).…”

Congenital kyphosis secondary to lumbar vertebral hypoplasia causing paraparesis in a Friesian foal

“…2007) and malformations of the other cervical vertebrae that usually result in clinical signs of cervical vertebral myelopathy (Nixon 2002; Rush 2006). In contrast, thoracolumbar vertebral abnormalities usually do not result in neurological abnormalities (Denoix 2005) and lumbosacral vertebral malformations were, in fact, found to occur commonly in a study examining vertebral columns of 36 Thoroughbred racehorses (Haussler et al . 1997).…”

“…Of the vertebral malformations, ones in the cervical vertebral column occur most frequently and include occipitoatlantoaxial malformations (Rosenstein et al 2000;Rush 2006;Bell et al 2007) and malformations of the other cervical vertebrae that usually result in clinical signs of cervical vertebral myelopathy (Nixon 2002;Rush 2006). In contrast, thoracolumbar vertebral abnormalities usually do not result in neurological abnormalities (Denoix 2005) and lumbosacral vertebral malformations were, in fact, found to occur commonly in a study examining vertebral columns of 36 Thoroughbred racehorses (Haussler et al 1997). Another large study by Jeffcott (1980) showed that in 15 out of 443 horses (2.9%) with disorders of the thoracolumbar vertebral column, conformation defects were present with evidence of scoliosis, lordosis or kyphosis.…”

Spinal hyperostosis and ankylosis in a Gallo-Roman horse from Iwuy ‘Val-de-Calvigny’ (Nord, France): ‘Ankylosing spondylarthritis’ (spondylarthritis ankylopoetica), ‘deforming spondylarthrosis’ (spondylarthrosis deformans) or ‘DISH’ (hyperostosis vertebralis ankylopoetica)? An archeozoological and comparative nosological review

“…Vertebral crush and ankyloses secondary to osteomyelitis are rarely recognized in the horse; the same is true for tuberculous osteomyelitis (Lignereux and Peters, 1999;Kelly et al, 1972;Pavlik et al, 2004). Finally, the possibility of congenital vertebral malformation should not be overlooked (Denoix, 2005).…”