Specific Fractures and Dislocations of the Spine Atlantoaxial Instability Cervical Vertebral Fractures Thoracic and Lumbar Fracture/Luxations Lumbosacral Fractures Fracture/Luxations of the Sacrococcygeal Region

Spinal injuries and associated neurologic dysfunction are encountered frequently in small animal practice. Such injuries are most often the result of automobile trauma, or less commonly gunshot injuries, falls from heights, or animal abuse. The vertebral column has two distinct functions that become compromised in the injured animal and that must be considered in the diagnosis and management of each case. The first function is to house and protect the spinal cord itself. The prognosis and treatment of spinal fractures and luxations are strongly dependent upon the degree of neurologic injury and thus its accurate assessment. The elements of a good neurologic examination relating sensory and motor deficits with the location and severity of the spinal cord lesion are discussed in Chapter 62. The classification and treatment of spinal cord injuries will be discussed briefly in the sections to follow.