Cervical Vertebral Compressive Myelopathy associated with articular processes osteoarthritis in three horses

Abstract

Summary: Cervical vertebral compressive myelopathy is a neuropathy resulting in ataxia in horses. Three horses with different signs of incoordination were presented for further evaluation. A five-year-old gelding with a long history of abnormal head and neck carriage, a six-yearold gelding with a history of previous neurological episodes and a two-day history of acute episodes of walking difficulties, and a sixteenyear-old mare with a one-month history of left fore-limb ataxia were diagnosed with osteoarthritis of the facet joints of the caudal cervical vertebrae. Lateral radiographs of caudal cervical vertebrae confirmed osteoarthritis of the articular processes. Radiographic changes, such as enlargement of the articular process joint, periarticular new bone and reduction or narrowing of the intervertebral foramen, were observed in all three cases. Cervical vertebral compressive myelopathy should be considered in ataxic horses with normal laboratory findings.

Radiographic findings and anatomical variations of the caudal cervical area in horses with neck pain and ataxia: case–control study on 116 horses

“…Compression of the spinal cord can be related to cervical vertebral stenotic myelopathy of the cervical vertebra, which is well described in the literature and named ‘Wobbler Syndrome’, as well as increased size of the APJs, which can induce compression of the spinal cord. Ataxia as a consequence of arthropathy of the APJs is less common than of cervical vertebra stenosis 22 28. In the present study group, malalignment (12 horses) and static stenosis (one horse with wedge‐shaped vertebra) of the cervical vertebra were detected in 13 horses, using the criteria reported in the literature,3 at different locations, and approximately 50 per cent of these cases showed AVL‐C6.…”

“…Previous studies have evaluated the association between the presence of AVL‐C6 and clinical signs of cervical pain, including horses with cervical disease as a single group of ‘horses with clinical signs’ and a control group of horses without complete clinical examination 7–10. Recently another study investigated spinal ataxia, cervical pain at palpation, presumed brachial plexus neurological lameness and horses with at least one of several clinical signs of neck pain, and included a control group of horses with complete clinical examination 16 22. Conflicting results were obtained, with some authors finding a correlation7 and others not 10 16.…”

“…In addition, it has been demonstrated that, in some horses presenting with congenital variation of C6 and C7, it is possible to identify congenital malformation of the first rib, for example hypoplasia or bifid development 17. A thoracic inlet syndrome, as described in people, cannot be excluded as a cause of neck pain, especially in horses showing forelimb lameness related to the cervical spine 20–25…”

Osteochondral fragmentation of the cervical articular process joints; prevalence in horses undergoing CT for investigation of cervical dysfunction

“…can result in muscle atrophy, local sweating, stumbling and forelimb lameness. 5,6 Reported pathological conditions of the APJs include arthropathy which can contribute to cervical stenotic myelopathy (CSM), 7,8 osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD), 1,9 OCD-like lesions 2 and traumatic fracture. 10,11 Accurate ante mortem diagnosis of APJ pathology presents a clinical challenge.…”