EAP was more effective than DSX for recovery of ambulation and improvement in neurologic deficits in dogs with long-standing severe deficits attributable to thoracolumbar IVDD.

No abstract

In the present experimental study we assessed induced osteoarthritis data in rabbits, compared three diagnostic methods, i.e., radiography (XR), computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and correlated the imaging findings with those obtained by macroscopic evaluation. Ten young female rabbits of the Norfolk breed were used. Seven rabbits had the right knee immobilized in extension for a period of 12 weeks (immobilized group), and three others did not have a limb immobilized and were maintained under the same conditions (control group). Alterations observed by XR, CT and MRI after the period of immobilization were osteophytes, osteochondral lesions, increase and decrease of joint space, all of them present both in the immobilized and non-immobilized contralateral limbs. However, a significantly higher score was obtained for the immobilized limbs (XT: P = 0.016, CT: P = 0.031, MRI: P = 0.0156). All imaging methods were able to detect osteoarthritis changes after the 12 weeks of immobilization. Macroscopic evaluation identified increased thickening of joint capsule, proliferative and connective tissue in the femoropatellar joint, and irregularities of articular cartilage, especially in immobilized knees. The differences among XR, CT and MRI were not statistically significant for the immobilized knees. However, MRI using a 0.5 Tesla scanner was statistically different from CT and XR for the non-immobilized contralateral knees. We conclude that the three methods detected osteoarthritis lesions in rabbit knees, but MRI was less sensitive than XR and CT in detecting lesions compatible with initial osteoarthritis. Since none of the techniques revealed all the lesions, it is important to use all methods to establish an accurate diagnosis. Correspondence

O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar a eficácia e os métodos de acupuntura utilizados no tratamento dedoenças neurológicas em cães, bem como discutir a abordagem holística dos padrões de doençasencontrados nestes pacientes. Foram estudados 43 casos de doenças neurológicas em cães. A cadasessão semanal e a cada melhora clínica ou observação diferente feita pelo proprietário do paciente, oneurologista veterinário fazia uma reavaliação neurológica. O tratamento foi considerado eficaz quandoos pacientes foram capazes de recuperar seu controle neuromuscular ou a capacidade normal dedeambulação. Todos os pacientes foram submetidos a exames complementares e somente animaiscom diagnósticos conclusivos foram incluídos nesta investigação. As doenças neurológicas maisencontradas foram hérnia de disco, espondilose e trauma medular, sendo que alguns pacientesapresentaram mais de uma afecção simultaneamente. Noventa e três por cento dos animais melhorarame sete por cento não apresentaram resposta significativa após o tratamento com acupuntura. Estesúltimos foram acometidos por doenças como síndrome da cauda equina, “síndrome de cambaleios ouoscilações” e hérnia de disco com ausência de dor profunda. A acupuntura com agulha simples foi atécnica mais utilizada para os tratamentos, com cerca de 46% de prevalência. O número de sessõessemanais de acupuntura variou de 6±4 até 25±22. Conclui-se que o estímulo de acupontos utilizandodiferentes métodos foi eficiente no tratamento dos padrões ocidentais das doenças neurológicas dosanimais estudados nesta investigação e que um bom diagnóstico diferencial ocidental e oriental é necessáriopara o sucesso no tratamento de doenças neuromusculares.

The aim of this study was to evaluate histologically the action of chondroitin sulphate in osteoarthritis experimentally induced by continuous immobilization. Fourteen young female Norfolk rabbits aged 2.5-3 months at the beginning of the experiment were divided into two equitable groups submitted to immobilization of the right knee for a period of 12 weeks. The treated group received 1.0 ml/animal/s.c. of 12% chondroitin sulphate, once a week for 12 weeks, and the untreated group did not receive any treatment. Two additional animals were not submitted to knee immobilization (sham group). Microscopical examination of knee preparations stained with haematoxylin-eosin and Masson trichrome showed lesions of both joints in treated and untreated groups, with no significant difference between the scores obtained for the right and left knees. Examination of preparations stained with picrosirius red showed collagen fibre alignment and misalignment in the right and left knees of the animals of all groups, but statistic analysis could not be performed. It was not possible to differentiate the proteoglycan concentration between limbs or groups (treated and untreated) by safranin O or toluidine blue staining. It was possible to conclude that the chondroitin sulphate was not able to reduce the histological changes induced by this osteoarthritis experimental model.