title: Multiple subluxations and comminuted fracture of the cervical spine in a sheep.
abstract: A 5-month-old, 13.5 kg, female Corriedale sheep was referred to the Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital, with a history of traumatic injury of the cervical spine followed by non-ambulatoric tetraparesis that occurred 2 weeks before being admitted to the hospital. At admission, malalignment of the cervical spine with the cranial part of the neck deviating to the right was noted. Neurological examinations identified the absence of postural reactions in both forelimbs, mildly decreased spinal reflexes, and normal reaction to pain perception tests. Radiography revealed malalignment of the cervical vertebrae with subluxations at C1-C2 and C2-C3, and a comminuted fracture of the caudal aspect of C2. The sheep was euthanized due to a presumed poor prognosis. Necropsy and histopathological findings confirmed injuries of the cervical spine from C1 to C3, which were consistent with the clinical finding of tetraparesis in this case. This paper presents a rare case of multiple subluxations of the cervical spine caused by blunt force trauma in a young sheep. These results highlight the importance of an astute clinical diagnosis for such an acute cervical spine trauma and the need for prompt surgical correction for similar cases in the future.
authors.forename: C-C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: K-S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Y-L
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Dr. Jacky Peng-Wen Chan, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, College of Veterinary Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, 250 Kuo-Kuang Road, 40227 Taichung, Taiwan, Email:pwchan@dragon.nchu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: J P-W
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries / Q000473:pathology; D037901:Euthanasia, Animal; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D018460:Fractures, Comminuted / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004204:Joint Dislocations / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D011859:Radiography; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D034561:Sheep, Domestic; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*
keywords: Cervical spine; sheep; subluxations; traumatic injury