[Percutaneous partial diskectomy in the dog--an alternative to surgical disk fenestration]

A new, technically simple operation method for the fenestration of disks is described which was performed successfully on six experimental dogs on the thoracolumbar disks and did not stress them very much. A percutaneous partial diskectomy (PPD) of the anulus fibrosus and the nucleus pulposus with a bone drill (diameter 5 mm) is performed. The extracted cylinder bone allows a histological judgement of the disci intervertebrales. This method was applied to 10 animal patients with discopathia, and it showed that evidently PPD is a good alternative to the conventional thoracolumbar disk surgery (dorsolateral fenestration). Besides the technical simplicity of this method its advantage is a quicker practicability and less operative stress of the patient.