A simplified method of walking track analysis to assess short-term locomotor recovery after acute spinal cord injury caused by thoracolumbar intervertebral disc extrusion in dogs

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a simplified method of walking track analysis to assess treatment outcome in canine spinal cord injury. Measurements of stride length (SL) and base of support (BS) were made using a ‘finger painting’ technique for footprint analysis in all limbs of 20 normal dogs and 27 dogs with 28 episodes of acute thoracolumbar spinal cord injury (SCI) caused by spontaneous intervertebral disc extrusion. Measurements were determined at three separate time points in normal dogs and on day 3, 10 and 30 following decompressive surgery in dogs with SCI. Values for SL, BS and coefficient of variance (COV) for each parameter were compared between groups at each time point. Mean SL was significantly shorter in all four limbs of SCI-affected dogs at days 3, 10, and 30 compared to normal dogs. SL gradually increased toward normal in the 30 days following surgery. As measured by this technique, the COV-SL was significantly higher in SCI-affected dogs than normal dogs in both thoracic limbs (TL) and pelvic limbs (PL) only at day 3 after surgery. BS-TL was significantly wider in SCI-affected dogs at days 3, 10 and 30 following surgery compared to normal dogs. These findings support the use of footprint parameters to compare locomotor differences between normal and SCI-affected dogs, and to assess recovery from SCI. Additionally, our results underscore important changes in TL locomotion in thoracolumbar SCI-affected dogs.

Comparison of Preoperative Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Clinical Assessment of Deep Pain Perception as Prognostic Tools for Early Recovery of Motor Function in Paraplegic Dogs with Intervertebral Disk Herniations

“…However, preoperative T2W‐LERs seem not to be of prognostic value for early MFR using high‐field MRI. Based on the previous literature evaluating early MFR,41, 51 a sample size of 44 paraplegic dogs, 22 per group, was calculated to detect differences between groups with an alpha level of 0.05 and power of 0.80 using DPP as gold standard technique. Although the initial calculated sample size could not be reached, achieved statistical power for DPP and FA was 0.81 and 0.79, respectively.…”

Evaluation of changes in the locomotion and histology of sciatic nerve following experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

“…In this study, the stride length of foot print analysis was used to evaluate the locomotor function in EAE mice following MOG immunisation. Use of stride length in footprint analysis was used successfully to compare locomotor differences between normal dogs and dogs with spinal cord injury (SONG, OLDACH, BASSO et al, 2016).…”

Adaptation of the Basso–Beattie–Bresnahan locomotor rating scale for use in a clinical model of spinal cord injury in dogs

“…A simplified method of walking track analysis was used to obtain this measurement, and a detailed account of these methods and results are described elsewhere (Song et al, 2016). …”