Instrumented cervical fusion in nine dogs with caudal cervical spondylomyelopathy

Abstract

Objective: To report the long-term outcome of nine dogs treated for caudal cervical spondylomyelopathy (CCSM) with surgical spinal fusion. Study design: Short case series. Animals: Nine large-breed dogs. Methods: Medical records of dogs treated for disc-associated CCSM (2013-2016) were reviewed. The surgery objective was spinal distraction by implantation of a SynCage and fixation with two Unilock plates. Follow-up included the Helsinki pain score questionnaire, neurological grading, radiography, computed tomography (CT), and micro-CT (μCT) with subsequent histopathology (two dogs). Results: Clinical follow-up was obtained between 9 and 51 months (27.4 ± 13.4 months). The Helsinki pain score and neurological Griffith score improved (P