Follow-up MRI appearance of the surgical site in dogs treated for thoracolumbar intervertebral disc herniation and showing ongoing or recurrent neurological symptoms

Anne-Lorraine Peschard, Paul Freeman, Marie-Aude Genain

MRI characteristics of the surgical site in dogs with thoracolumbar intervertebral disc herniation (IVDH) and neurological signs were investigated in a retrospective, descriptive study. The study included 21 dogs with thoracolumbar IVDH, mostly chondrodystrophic breeds, and performed 42 MRI studies within a median of 335 days after surgery. The MRI studies showed susceptibility artifacts in 33% of the cases, mainly due to metallic material from drilling bone. The extradural material was markedly compressive in 11 cases, and the spinal cord was tethered in one case. The vertebral and paravertebral soft tissues showed new bone formation in 10 cases. The MRI findings varied according to the postoperative stage, with extradural material being more common in the early period and new bone formation being more common in the late period. The study concluded that MRI is a useful modality for imaging the surgical site in dogs with IVDH and neurological signs, but susceptibility artifacts may limit its diagnostic impact. The study also suggested that recurrence of neurological signs may be related to the presence of extradural material or other complications.

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