title: Surgical treatments for intervertebral disc disease.
abstract: Surgical treatments for intervertebral disc disease are useful for animals with gradually progressive, severely acute, or recurrent lesions. Surgical patients require a diligent neuroradiographic evaluation to confirm location and severity of the discopathy and rule out conditions unrelated to disc disease. Although controversial, some surgeons advocate fenestration for recurrent pain or mild ataxia associated with a noncompressive lesion. Decompressive procedures are recommended for treatment and prognostication of compressive disc-associated myelopathy. Foraminotomy is reserved for patients with lateralizing extrusions confirmed with myelography or newer imaging modalities (CT, MRI). Future treatments for animals may include chemonucleolysis or various discectomy procedures currently performed in humans with symptomatic disc disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Pullman.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Harari
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Marks
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D004285:Dogs; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*