Management of spinal trauma in 69 cats

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Neurology
• Comparative Orthopedics
• Feline Medicine

Background:

• Spinal trauma is a significant cause of neurological deficits in cats.
• Effective treatment strategies for feline spinal injuries remain an area of active research.
• Understanding the outcomes of different surgical and conservative interventions is crucial for improving patient prognosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate clinical and radiological findings in cats with spinal trauma.
• To assess the outcomes of conservative and surgical treatments, including two spinal stapling techniques.
• To compare the efficacy of different surgical interventions for feline spinal injuries.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of case records for cats with spinal trauma.
• Diagnostic evaluation including physical, neurological, and radiological examinations (survey radiography, myelography, epidurography).
• Surgical interventions included decompression (laminectomy, hemilaminectomy, durotomy) with or without stabilization using Steinmann pins or polypropylene, or translaminar stapling.

Main Results:

• Of 30 conservatively managed cases, 19 recovered, while others had persistent deficits.
• Complete recovery was observed in 4 cats after hemilaminectomy and 3 after laminectomy.
• Translaminar stapling was identified as a superior stabilization technique compared to other methods, despite some limitations in bone structure integrity.

Conclusions:

• The type and degree of spinal cord degradation significantly influence prognosis in feline spinal trauma.
• Decompressive procedures offer satisfactory results in cases without instability.
• Translaminar stapling demonstrates potential as an effective stabilization method for feline spinal injuries, though further refinement may be needed.