Intervertebral Disc Extrusion between T8 and T9 in a Dachshund

Background: Intervertebral disc extrusion with consequent spinal compression or intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) is one of the most common causes of compressive myelopathy in dogs, and the thoracolumbar spine discs between T12 and L2 are most affected. Extrusions in cranial thoracic region are rare, and there is few cases in literature reporting this situations, this rarity is attributed to the presence of the intercapital ligament connecting the rib heads between T2 and T10, which strengthens this region both mechanically and anatomically. The aim of this article is report the clinical signs, diagnosis and treatment of a case of Type I Hansen IVDD between T8 and T9 in a Dachshund breed dog.Case: An 8-year-old Dachshund male dog was presented for investigation of pelvic limb incoordination and back pain, which started 10 days prior to the consultation. It had a history of a similar condition 3 months earlier that showed improvement after clinical treatment. On neurological examination was identified in both pelvic limbs proprioceptive ataxia, absence of proprioception, increased muscle tone, presence of interdigital reflex and increased patellar reflex. Cutaneous trunci reflex was absent below T11 on the left side, and pain was noted upon palpation of T7 through the T12 vertebrae. A grade II asymmetric thoracolumbar lesion with hyperesthesia was diagnosed. On suspicion of IVDD, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) collection and CT scan analysis of the thoracolumbar region were performed. CT scan showed the presence of hyperattenuating and mineralized material, 1 cm long, on the floor of the spinal canal, mainly on the left side, occupying 80% of the diameter of the spinal canal between T8 and T9. The patient was then submitted to decompression surgery through hemilaminectomy and showed a good recovery. As the occurrence of disc extrusion in cranial thoracic region of chondrodystrophic breeds is rare, we report the clinical signs, diagnosis and treatment of a case of Type I Hansen intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) between T8 and T9 in a Dachshund breed dog.Discussion: All spinal discs can undergo a process of degeneration causing IVDD, in which the cervical and thoracolumbar regions are the most affected due to reasons not yet fully understood, however spinal cord compression between the T1 and T9 vertebrae is very rare, probably due to the strengthening provided by the intercapital ligament to the posterior annulus fibrosus. Disc extrusion in unusual locations in chondrodystrophic breeds is mainly reported as extrusion between vertebrae T1 and T2, and T9 and T10, with some cases was attributed to an anatomical abnormality of the intercapital ligament. The evaluation of intervertebral discs of the German shepherd breed dogs using MRI showed disc degeneration processes in thoracic vertebras. Disc extrusions often result in more severe clinical signs than protrusions, and occur acutely or subacutely, which was different from the case described here, maybe because the presence of the intercapital ligament permitted gradual extrusion allowing the spinal cord to adapt to the compression. Despite surgical access to this region being described as more complex due to the presence and proximity of the rib head to the vertebral body and the possibility of injuring the intercostal muscles causing pneumothorax, the hemilaminectomy and rib head excision at T9 could be performed without any complications. Thus, although unusual, the cranial thoracic region should not be overlooked as a possible site of occurrence of IVDD, since the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis are similar to those in patients with extrusions in the most common sites.Keywords: intervertebral disc degeneration, dogs, paresis, ataxia

Physics behind the implants used for high strain fractures: literature review

Quando fraturas ósseas ocorrem, forças externas produzem movimentação interfragmentária continuamente e um método de estabilização se faz necessário. É sabido que as condições mecânicas no local de fratura influenciam a formação de calo durante o processo de cicatrização óssea e para que cicatrização óssea primária seja obtida é necessária estabilidade absoluta no foco de fratura. O conceito de strain de Perren determina que a deformação relativa no foco de fratura estabilizado depende do tamanho da lacuna de fratura original. Fraturas redutíveis (sem cominuição) são consideradas de alto strain, pois uma pequena força aplicada a linha de fratura resulta em grande movimentação com efeito deletério ao processo de consolidação. O presente trabalho revisa a literatura disponível a respeito de fatores que influenciam a mecânica de fraturas de alto strain em medicina veterinária, seus métodos de tratamento e a física por trás dos implantes disponíveis. Cada configuração de fratura requer atenção especial e cuidado crítico na escolha do método de osteossíntese e no tipo de estabilidade necessária para que a consolidação ocorra no tempo esperado. Conhecimento da teoria do strain é mandatório para a formação de cirurgiões ortopédicos. Whenever bone fractures occur, external forces produce continuous interfragmentary motion and a stabilization method is necessary. It is known that the mechanical conditions at the fracture site influence bone callus formation during healing process. To achieve primary (direct) bone healing, absolute stability at the fracture site is necessary. Perren’s concept of strain determines that relative deformation at the fracture gap depends on the original gap’s conformation. Simple fractures (without comminution) are considered high strain fractures since a small force applied to the fracture site results in great movement with deleterious effects on the healing process. The purpose of this study is to review the available literature regarding factors that influence the mechanics of high strain fractures in veterinary medicine, its treatment methods and implants available. Each fracture configuration requires special attention and critical care in choosing the osteosynthesis method and the type of stability required for consolidation to occur within the expected time. One must know the strain theory to become an orthopedic surgeon

Aortic Thromboembolism as a Consequence of Bacterial Endocarditis Causing Acute Ischemic Neuromyopathy in a Dog

Background: Aortic thromboembolism (ATE) is a potentially fatal and rare condition in dogs. Ischemic neuromyopathy is main consequence, characterized by paraparesis or paraplegia, loss of femoral pulses, pain and hypothermia in distal part of affected limbs. In felines, affection is primarily associated with heart problems, whereas in dogs, condition is due to diseases which compromise the blood flow, such as, hyperadrenocorticism, immune-mediated hemolytic anemia, disseminated intravascular coagulation, sepsis, and more rarely cardiac problems. The aim of this article is describe a case of acute aortic thromboembolism due to bacterial endocarditis in a dog.Case: A female, 9-year-old dog, weighing 28.5 kg, was referred for examination due to acute paraparesis and pain. Patient showed cyanosis in nail beds and cold extremities in hind limbs, heart murmur degree V / IV, and bilateral absence of femoral arterial pulse. Due to suspicion of ATE, patient was treated with heparin, aspirin and tramadol, however it came to die less than 24 h after initial care. At necropsy, there was pulmonary edema, moderate hyperemia and severe tricuspid mitral valve. A thrombus with 3.0 cm of diameter in left atrium was found. At beginning of aorta there was also a thrombus measuring 5.0 cm x 0.3 cm x 0.3 cm and other thrombus in abdominal aortic trifurcation measuring 3.0 cm x 0.5 cm x 0.5 cm. Kidneys showed diffusely marked coagulative necrosis associated with extensive congestion and hemorrhage in corticomedullar region. Multiples focus of dark red coloration lesions and elevated surfaces ranging from 0.5 to 3.0 cm of diameter were observed in the spleen. Histological examination of heart valves showed presence of moderate amounts of degenerate neutrophils indicating bacterial endocarditis, whereas, same exam of kidneys, interstitial inflammatory infiltrate mostly constituted by a small quantity of degenerated neutrophils and lymphocytes was found. Thus, final diagnosis was ATE, resulting from bacterial endocarditis.Discussion: Aortic thromboembolism is an uncommon disease in dogs, generally affecting patients ranging from medium to big-sized and middle-aged to elderly dogs. Majority of dogs show chronic signs, whilst acute presentation, described herein, is uncommon. Clinical signs, showed by our patient were similar to what occur in felines with same disease, being absence of femoral pulse pathognomonic for both species. Patients can present partial or full obstruction to aortic trifurcation, with signs which range from weakness to paraplegia, as a consequence of ischemic neuromyopathy, as well observed in the present report. On post-mortem examination clinical suspicion of ATE was confirmed, however, unlike majority of reports of this condition in literature, two more thrombus were also identified. Due to acute picture and fast evolution to death, complementary exams, such as, two-dimensional ultrasound or Doppler, which are effective in viewing of presence of occlusion of aortic and decrease of blood flow, were not possible to accomplish. Severity and fatal evolution of this picture also prevented both etiologic diagnosis and treatment to be conducted. In consulted literature, descriptions of ATE due to bacterial endocarditis in dogs weren’t found, but it is believed that in present report, ATE may have occurred due to bacterial endocarditis. Unfortunately, both prognoses of bacterial endocarditis as ATE are poor and association of these two affections is probably associated with fast worsening picture and evolution to death.Keywords: embolism, endocarditis, aortic diseases, paraplegia

An integrated marketing communications campaign for Office of Sports Development

The primary goal of this marketing campaign is to increase the exposure of the Unsung Heroes of De La Salle University. In doing so, the campaign aims to drive attention, spark interest, create desire and ultimately encourage the support of the Lasallian community. Along with this, the campaign aims to achieve two secondary goals for the OSD. In the process of elevating the recognition of the Unsung Heroes, encouraging potential alumni benefactors to contribute to the OSDs sports fund and acquiring prospective recruits will be attainable. With the contributions, the Office will be able to better provide for their athletes needs and have the means to compete with other universities in terms of recruitment. This study applied three research designs in order to gather data from four different parties. Insight from the student-athletes, former and current Sports Directors, Lasallian student body and alumni were collected to better understand the support given by the Lasallian community to the DLSU teams. A purposive in-depth interview was initially done on a total of fifty-eight (58) respondents coming from the side of the OSD. Two (2) of these respondents are the former and current Sports Directors of the Office of Sports Development (OSD) while fifty-six (56) of these respondents are the athletes representing all fifteen (15) sporting events in the UAAP. Athlete respondents were further categorized into four (4) representatives per sporting event. These four representatives consist two (2) male and two (2) female athletes, one of each belong to an older and newer batch. They were asked open-ended questions regarding their (a) experience as a student-athlete (b) take on the OSDs support to their sport and (c) the recognition of their team/sport in the school. Whereas, the two (2) Sports Directors were asked open-ended questions regarding their (a) plans for the OSD (b) the support that they provide their athletes and (c) the sports fund. Due to availability concerns and willingness to participate, the researcher was only able to interview athletes that had accepted to take part in the study. For some sports, the researcher interviewed athletes that don\u27t necessarily fit the bill due to previously mentioned limitations. Also, most of the athletes that the researcher interviewed resided within the Taft Avenue area. 57% of these respondents are athletic scholars coming from different provinces in the Philippines In order to attain insights from the side of the DLSU alumni, the researcher interviewed ten (10) members of Gang Green, a group of DLSU alumnus who are die-hard supporters of the different UAAP teams. The questions asked were regarding (a) the top five teams that they support (b) preference in supporting specific sports and (c) reasons that can convince them to support other teams aside from those they are already supporting. In order to get the perspective of the Lasallian community on DLSU sports, an online-survey was conducted on a total of one hundred (100) Lasallian student. The questions of the survey surrounded (a) their usual activities in campus (b) their awareness and familiarity on the different DLSU sports as well as (c) their reasons for supporting and not supporting certain teams. With the data gathered, the researcher will be able to conceptualize strategies that will increase the exposure of the Unsung Heroes and encourage the support from the Lasallian community

Ex vivo biomechanical comparison between bone cement associated with cortical screws and polyxial titanium screws with or without cross-link in the stabilization of toracolumbar column of dogs

O trauma vertebromedular ocorre com frequência em cães e resulta em consequências graves, desde perda parcial a total das funções motoras, sendo a região toracolombar o segmento da coluna vertebral mais afetado. Os parafusos vertebrais poliaxiais de titânio (PVPT) foram recentemente inseridos na medicina veterinária, com poucos estudos que avaliem sua eficácia na coluna toracolombar. O objetivo desse estudo foi comparar a rigidez da instrumentação com PVPT com e sem cross-link na coluna toracolombar com a instrumentação por cimento ósseo e parafusos corticais. Foram coletados 13 segmentos toracolombares (T11-L3) de cães adultos com peso entre 27-45Kg, provenientes do Departamento de Patologia da Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia da Universidade de São Paulo (VPT / FMVZ-USP), que vieram a óbito por condições não relacionadas ao estudo. Formaram-se cinco grupos experimentais a partir de cada unidade de teste: Grupo Controle (G0), Grupo instável (G1), Grupo Poliaxial (G2); Grupo Poliaxial + cross-link (G3) e Grupo Parafuso + PMMA (G4). Mensurou-se a zona neutra e amplitude de movimento nos eixos de inclinação lateral, flexão-extensão e torção. A fixação bilateral sem o cross-link (G2), não foi capaz de estabilizar a coluna em torção, reduziu a média da amplitude de movimento em 67%, porém não de forma significativa (p= 0,103); quando adicionado o cross-link (G3) reduziu em 74% a média da AM e de forma significativa (p= 0,004). O acréscimo do cross-link não aumenta a rigidez no eixo de flexão-extensão e inclinação. A instrumentação com PMMA/parafusos é o método mais rígido e restaura a rigidez em todos os eixos de movimento, sendo o único grupo que retorna a níveis pré-corpectomia o eixo de torção.The spinal trauma frequently occurs in dogs and results in serious consequences from partial to total loss of motor functions, with the thoracolumbar region being the most affected segment of the spine. Titanium polyaxial vertebral screws have recently been inserted into veterinary medicine, with few studies evaluating their effectiveness in canine thoracolumbar spine. The aim of this study was to compare the stiffines of instrumentation of polyaxial screw with and without cross-link in the thoracolumbar spine with instrumentation by PMMA and cortical screws. Thirteen thoracolumbar segments (T11-L3) were collected from adult dogs weighing between 27-45Kg, from the Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics, University of São Paulo (VPT / FMVZ-USP), who died or were euthanized from conditions unrelated to the study. Five experimental groups were formed from each test unit: Control (G0), Unstable (G1), Polyaxial (G2); Polyaxial + cross-link (G3) and Screw + PMMA (G4). The neutral zone (NZ) and range of motion (ROM) were measured in the axis of lateral inclination, flexion-extension and torsion. Bilateral fixation without the cross-link (G2), was not able to stabilize the unit in torsion axis, reduced the average ROM by 67%, but not significantly (p = 0.103); when the cross- link was added (G3), the average ROM was reduced significantly in 74% (p = 0.004). The addition of the cross-link does not increase stiffness in the flexion-extension and inclination axis. Instrumentation with PMMA / screws is the most rigid method and restores rigidity in all axes of movement, being the only group that returns to pre- corpectomy levels the torsion axis

Intervertebral Disc Extrusion between T8 and T9 in a Dachshund

Background: Intervertebral disc extrusion with consequent spinal compression or intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) is one of the most common causes of compressive myelopathy in dogs, and the thoracolumbar spine discs between T12 and L2 are most affected. Extrusions in cranial thoracic region are rare, and there is few cases in literature reporting this situations, this rarity is attributed to the presence of the intercapital ligament connecting the rib heads between T2 and T10, which strengthens this region both mechanically and anatomically. The aim of this article is report the clinical signs, diagnosis and treatment of a case of Type I Hansen IVDD between T8 and T9 in a Dachshund breed dog.Case: An 8-year-old Dachshund male dog was presented for investigation of pelvic limb incoordination and back pain, which started 10 days prior to the consultation. It had a history of a similar condition 3 months earlier that showed improvement after clinical treatment. On neurological examination was identified in both pelvic limbs proprioceptive ataxia, absence of proprioception, increased muscle tone, presence of interdigital reflex and increased patellar reflex. Cutaneous trunci reflex was absent below T11 on the left side, and pain was noted upon palpation of T7 through the T12 vertebrae. A grade II asymmetric thoracolumbar lesion with hyperesthesia was diagnosed. On suspicion of IVDD, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) collection and CT scan analysis of the thoracolumbar region were performed. CT scan showed the presence of hyperattenuating and mineralized material, 1 cm long, on the floor of the spinal canal, mainly on the left side, occupying 80% of the diameter of the spinal canal between T8 and T9. The patient was then submitted to decompression surgery through hemilaminectomy and showed a good recovery. As the occurrence of disc extrusion in cranial thoracic region of chondrodystrophic breeds is rare, we report the clinical signs, diagnosis and treatment of a case of Type I Hansen intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) between T8 and T9 in a Dachshund breed dog.Discussion: All spinal discs can undergo a process of degeneration causing IVDD, in which the cervical and thoracolumbar regions are the most affected due to reasons not yet fully understood, however spinal cord compression between the T1 and T9 vertebrae is very rare, probably due to the strengthening provided by the intercapital ligament to the posterior annulus fibrosus. Disc extrusion in unusual locations in chondrodystrophic breeds is mainly reported as extrusion between vertebrae T1 and T2, and T9 and T10, with some cases was attributed to an anatomical abnormality of the intercapital ligament. The evaluation of intervertebral discs of the German shepherd breed dogs using MRI showed disc degeneration processes in thoracic vertebras. Disc extrusions often result in more severe clinical signs than protrusions, and occur acutely or subacutely, which was different from the case described here, maybe because the presence of the intercapital ligament permitted gradual extrusion allowing the spinal cord to adapt to the compression. Despite surgical access to this region being described as more complex due to the presence and proximity of the rib head to the vertebral body and the possibility of injuring the intercostal muscles causing pneumothorax, the hemilaminectomy and rib head excision at T9 could be performed without any complications. Thus, although unusual, the cranial thoracic region should not be overlooked as a possible site of occurrence of IVDD, since the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis are similar to those in patients with extrusions in the most common sites.Keywords: intervertebral disc degeneration, dogs, paresis, ataxia

Post mortem evaluation of spinal cord and protruded intervertebral discs in dogs without neurological abnormalities

ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to verify the presence of protrusion of the intervertebral disc (IVD) causing compression of the spinal cord and/or roots of cauda equina in 30 dogs above seven years of age with no evidence of previous neurological abnormalities. After the occurrence of death or euthanasia, a laminectomy was performed from C2 to the sacral vertebra to verify the presence of IVD protrusions. The protruded IVD were macroscopically graded according to the Thompson scale, and the corresponding spinal cord segment was histologically analyzed for nervous tissue compression. Of the 30 dogs, twelve (40%) presented disc protrusion, and of these 12 dogs, seven (58%) presented more than one protruded disc. Disc protrusion was observed in 3.2% (25/780) of all IVD evaluated. Of the six chondrodystrophic dogs, five (83%) presented disc protrusion. Of the 24 nonchondrodystrophic dogs, seven (29%) presented IVD protrusion. The site that showed the highest frequency of protrusion was L4-L5 (6/25) followed by the L6-L7 region (3/25) and C6-C7 (3/25). Only two of the medullary segments evaluated showed histological changes, with presence of focal lymphocytic infiltration and multifocal mild hemorrhage in the gray matter. Under the conditions of this study, 40% of dogs older than seven years old showed IVD protrusions without showing neurological signs, with no abnormality of the nervous tissue in 92% of the evaluated segments. Thus, the protrusion of the IVD in some dogs, can only be a finding of no clinical relevance

Traduções simbólicas em contexto migratório: (re)existência e democratização da informação

O Projeto de Extensão Universitária - Português Brasileiro para Migração Humanitária da Universidade Federal do Paraná (PBMIH-UFPR) desenvolve materiais a partir de uma ‘tradução simbólica’ como forma de apoio para o exercício de cidadania e a facilitação do acesso de comunidades migrantes e/ou refugiados às informações relacionadas à saúde, à economia e a situações sociais agravadas com a pandemia. O projeto tem desenvolvido ferramentas educacionais em formato de postagens em suas redes sociais. Para que os materiais fossem elaborados, o projeto lançou mão de uma metodologia que conta com processos cíclicos: seleção das demandas junto aos migrantes, parceiros e observação do meio social; elaboração de textos acessíveis à comunidade de migrantes e refugiados, criação do layout e tradução do produto final em seis línguas (português brasileiro, inglês, espanhol, kreyòl ayisyen, francês e árabe). O material é uma ferramenta que opera a partir de uma visão interdisciplinar de tradução, a partir das perspectivas de outras áreas. Esperamos que os materiais possam auxiliar migrantes e/ou refugiados que se apresentam em maior situação de vulnerabilidade social neste momento.

Traduções simbólicas em contexto migratório: (re)existência e democratização da informação

O Projeto de Extensão Universitária - Português Brasileiro para Migração Humanitária da Universidade Federal do Paraná (PBMIH-UFPR) desenvolve materiais a partir de uma ‘tradução simbólica’ como forma de apoio para o exercício de cidadania e a facilitação do acesso de comunidades migrantes e/ou refugiados às informações relacionadas à saúde, à economia e a situações sociais agravadas com a pandemia. O projeto tem desenvolvido ferramentas educacionais em formato de postagens em suas redes sociais. Para que os materiais fossem elaborados, o projeto lançou mão de uma metodologia que conta com processos cíclicos: seleção das demandas junto aos migrantes, parceiros e observação do meio social; elaboração de textos acessíveis à comunidade de migrantes e refugiados, criação do layout e tradução do produto final em seis línguas (português brasileiro, inglês, espanhol, kreyòl ayisyen, francês e árabe). O material é uma ferramenta que opera a partir de uma visão interdisciplinar de tradução, a partir das perspectivas de outras áreas. Esperamos que os materiais possam auxiliar migrantes e/ou refugiados que se apresentam em maior situação de vulnerabilidade social neste momento.