Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association · 2002 · 70 citations · 32 references
MedicineVeterinary Clinical SciencesVeterinary Diagnostic ImagingDiagnostic ImagingDiagnostic RadiologyRadiographic AnatomyImaging AnatomySpinal AnatomySpinal AssessmentSpine DisordersSpine ImagingVertebral AnatomyAnatomy Of The SpineDegenerative Lumbosacral StenosisDisease Severity EstimationLumbosacral DiseaseMagnetic ResonanceSpinal Cord Compression ImagingT1-weighted ImagingVertebral Canal Anatomy
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to examine the lumbosacral spine of 27 dogs with degenerative lumbosacral stenosis. Four normal dogs were also similarly imaged. Compression of the soft-tissue structures within the vertebral canal at the lumbosacral space was assessed in two ways: by measuring dorsoventral diameter on T1-weighted sagittal images and cross-sectional area on transverse images. The severity of the clinical signs was compared to the severity of cauda equina compression. No significant correlation was found. It is concluded that degree of compression as determined by MRI at time of presentation is independent of disease severity.
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