Osteochondritis dissecans of the vertebral endplate of C5 with concomitant C4-C5 disc protrusion in a French Bulldog

Abstract

A 4-year-old French bulldog was presented with neck pain and left forelimb lameness. CT scan revealed a bony defect in the craniodorsal rim of the endplate of C5 with a concomitant disc protrusion leading to ventral spinal cord compression. Ventral slot at C4-C5 was performed to remove the protruding material and the fragment. Based on CT and histological findings, this bone defect was consistent with osteochondritis dissecans. Neck pain was absent immediately after the operation and the dog recovered without complication. Only a slight proprioceptive deficit of the left forelimb persisted during the 6-month of follow-up. Based on our search of the veterinary literature, this is the first published report of an osteochondritis dissecans of cervical endplate treated surgically.