title: Prevalence and Risk Factors for Presumptive Ascending/Descending Myelomalacia in Dogs after Thoracolumbar Intervertebral Disk Herniation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ascending/descending myelomalacia (ADMM) is a severe complication of thoracolumbar intervertebral disk herniation (TL-IVDH) in dogs.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the prevalence and risk factors for ADMM in nonambulatory dogs with surgically treated TL-IVDH.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six-hundred and fifty-two client-owned dogs evaluated for TL-IVDH that underwent decompressive spinal surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective medical record review from February 2007 through December 2015.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirteen dogs developed ADMM, with an overall prevalence of 2.0%. The prevalence of ADMM was 0% in dogs with neurological signs graded 1 or 2 at admission or before magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or surgical procedures, 0.6% in dogs with neurological signs graded 3, 2.7% in dogs with neurological signs graded 4, and 14.5% in dogs with neurological signs graded 5. Age (<5.8 years), neurological status (grade 5), site of disk herniation (L5-L6), duration of clinical signs before becoming nonambulatory (<24 hours), detection of intramedullary T2-weighted (T2W) hyperintensity, and a T2 length ratio >4.57 were significant risk factors in the univariate analysis for development of ADMM.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The factors identified in this study may be useful for the prediction of ADMM. Multicenter studies with a higher number of dogs with ADMM are required to confirm these data.
authors.affiliation: Neurology Unit, Portoni Rossi Veterinary Hospital, Zola Predosa, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9561-2477
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Balducci
authors.affiliation: Neurology Unit, Portoni Rossi Veterinary Hospital, Zola Predosa, Bologna, Italy.|Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health, Clinical Section, University of Padua, Legnaro, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1634-0881
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Canal
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health, Clinical Section, University of Padua, Legnaro, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Contiero
authors.affiliation: Neurology Unit, Portoni Rossi Veterinary Hospital, Zola Predosa, Bologna, Italy.|Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health, Clinical Section, University of Padua, Legnaro, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bernardini
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000293:injuries / Q000601:surgery; D007405:Intervertebral Disc Displacement / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology*; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery / Q000662:veterinary*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*
keywords: Canine; Contusive injury; Deep pain perception; Spinal cord injury