title: Assessment of Intramedullary Spinal Pressure in Small Breed Dogs With Thoracolumbar Disk Extrusion Undergoing Hemilaminectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess intramedullary spinal pressure (IMP) in small breed dogs with thoracolumbar disk extrusion.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Small breed dogs (n = 14) with thoracolumbar disk extrusion undergoing hemilaminectomy and healthy chondrodystrophic laboratory dogs (control; n = 3) without spinal disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Diagnosis was based on clinical and neurological examinations and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and was confirmed intraoperatively. A standardized anesthesia protocol and surgical procedure were used to minimize factors that could influence IMP. Intramedullary pressure was measured through a minidurotomy at the site of spinal cord compression using a fiber optic catheter inserted perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the spinal cord. Measurements were taken after hemilaminectomy and again after removal of extruded disk material.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Affected dogs had significantly higher IMP compared to control dogs (P = .008) and IMP decreased significantly post-decompression compared with initial values (P < .001). No correlation was found between IMP and neurologic grade, degree of spinal cord compression on MRI, or signal intensity changes on MRI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Acute thoracolumbar disk extrusion is associated with increased IMP in small breed dogs and surgical decompression results in an immediate decrease of IMP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Fiammetta L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Noussitou
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gorgas
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Helene
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rohrbach
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Henke
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Howard
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Franck
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Forterre
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary*; D007796:Laminectomy / Q000662:veterinary*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D011312:Pressure; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013045:Species Specificity; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000662:veterinary; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*