Resident Bluepearl North Dallas The Colony, TX, United States
Abstract: Background - Limited and conflicting information is published about whether neurolocalization affects recovery of ambulation following hemilaminectomy for acute intervertebral disc extrusion (IVDE).Objective - Evaluate recovery of ambulation in dogs with T3-L3 myelopathies versus L4-S3 myelopathies following acute IVDE in canine patients 4-6 weeks after surgery. Hypothesis - Dogs with T3-L3 myelopathies would be more likely to be ambulatory after 4-6 weeks compared to those with L4-S3 myelopathies. Animals - 147 client-owned dogs from one referral hospital obtained over a two year period (2020 to 2021) that had a hemilaminectomy and returned for a follow-up visit 4-6 weeks later. Methods - Dogs were separated into two groups based on neurolocalization, T3-L3 or L4-S3 myelopathy. Comparisons were made by assigning a modified Frankel score (MFS) at three time points: at the time of pre-operative exam, prior to discharge from surgery, and at a recheck exam 4-6 weeks after surgery. The highest MFS score (MFS 6) indicated the dog was neurologically normal, whereas MFS 0 indicated the dog was paraplegic without nociception. Results - Neurolocalization of signs did not have a significant association with MFS prior to discharge (p=0.419; p=0.603 multivariable) or at recheck (p=0.485; p=0.656 multivariable). Being older at time of surgery significantly increased the odds of having a lower MFS at the 4-6 week recheck (p=0.018). Suspected spinal shock significantly increased the odds of having a lower MFS prior to discharge (p=0.008).Conclusions and Clinical Importance - Neurolocalization was not associated with recovery of ambulation following hemilaminectomy.
