Partial percutaneous discectomy for treatment of thoracolumbar disc protrusion: retrospective study of 331 dogs.
OBJECTIVE
To determine retrospectively the prognosis and outcome for dogs diagnosed with thoracolumbar intervertebral disc disease treated with partial percutaneous discectomy (PPD).


METHODS
Three hundred and thirty-one dogs presenting with symptoms of thoracolumbar intervertebral disc disease from 1998 to 2003 were treated with PPD. Diagnosis and location of intervertebral disc disease was confirmed by clinical examination, radiography, myelography and magnetic resonance imaging. PPD was performed via fluoroscopy-guided removal of a 5 mm bore cylinder out of the central intervertebral space.


RESULTS
Clinical success after surgery was achieved in 159 (88.8 per cent) grade II to IV patients and 58 (38.2 per cent) grade V patients. The mean (sd) time from percutaneous discectomy to first improvement was 8.3 (13.2) days.


CONCLUSIONS
The PPD approach to the thoracolumbar spine involves minor trauma (yielding rapid recovery) and less pain, and produces results comparable with open fenestration. Consequently, this simple minimal invasive technique can be recommended as an alternative to the technique of fenestration and can be easily performed in addition to open surgical decompression techniques or prophylactically. However, it is not a replacement for surgical treatment in dogs with thoracolumbar disc disease that require removal of disc fragments causing spinal cord or nerve root compression.
Kinzel
S
S
Department of Laboratory Animal Science, University of Technology Aachen, Germany.
Wolff
M
M
Buecker
A
A
Krombach
G A
GA
Stopinski
T
T
Afify
M
M
Weiss
C
C
Kupper
W
W
D000818:Animals; D017587:Diskectomy, Percutaneous / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D009192:Myelography / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000662:veterinary; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome