title: The cutaneous trunci muscle reflex: a predictor of recovery in dogs with acute thoracolumbar myelopathies caused by intervertebral disc extrusions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether changes in the cutaneous trunci muscle (CTM) reflex are an early predictor of outcome in dogs with severe acute thoracolumbar intervertebral disc extrusion (IVDE).
  
  
  METHODS
  Multicenter prospective cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Dogs (n = 36) with acute IVDE causing paraplegia, loss of nociception in pelvic limbs and tail, and an abnormal CTM reflex postoperatively.
  
  
  METHODS
  The caudal border of the CTM reflex was established 24 hours after surgery and at discharge, and was reported as moving cranially, caudally, or staying static. Dogs were re-evaluated at 12-20 weeks and at 7-36 months postoperatively. Outcome was classified as improved or unimproved, successful or unsuccessful, and ascending myelomalacia or not, and compared with early movement of the CTM reflex by construction of contingency tables and performing a Fisher's exact test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  By discharge (mean, 4.7 days; SD = 2.10), CTM reflex progression was caudal in 19 dogs, static in 11, and cranial in 6. Five of 6 dogs with cranial movement developed ascending myelomalacia (P < .0001). Seventeen of 19 dogs with caudal movement showed an improvement by 12-20 weeks (P = .0046) and none developed ascending myelomalacia (P = .0013).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Postoperative changes of the caudal border of the CTM reflex are an early indicator of outcome in dogs with severe acute IVDE. Cranial movement of the CTM reflex is significantly associated with the development of ascending myelomalacia. Caudal movement is significantly associated with improvement, but not associated with a long-term successful outcome.
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA.
authors.forename: Audrey C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Muguet-Chanoit
authors.forename: Natasha J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Olby
authors.forename: Ji-Hey
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Ryan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gallagher
authors.forename: Zachary
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Niman
authors.forename: Stacy
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dillard
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Early
authors.forename: Christopher L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Mariani
authors.forename: Karen R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Muñana
authors.forename: Courtenay
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Freeman
authors.forename: Simon R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Platt
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kent
authors.forename: Carley
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Giovanella
authors.forename: Randall C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Longshore
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D055959:Intervertebral Disc Degeneration / Q000662:veterinary*; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012018:Reflex / Q000502:physiology*