![]() I have personally seen the whole gamut of clinical signs in cases of IVDD, ranging from mild, intermittent signs of pain all the way up to complete paralysis. Patients who don’t go to surgery rarely have this advanced imaging performed, and we veterinarians base the patient’s diagnosis on clinical signs, and the little hints we might be able to pick up on with x-ray images as discussed above. In patients who are headed to surgery, this imaging is critical toĪ) confirm the diagnosis-nobody wants to go to surgery without being pretty sure it’s the right thing to do, andī) for surgical planning, to help the surgeon ensure that he or she is treating the correct disc space This is done by advanced imaging, such as with an MRI or a CT scan. Since this scarring process happens over time, we know that his lumbar disc extrusion happened long before this x-ray image was made.Īs I said above, though, to get a definitive diagnosis, we must obtain an image of the spinal cord itself and evaluate it for compression. You can also see this process happening in Ralphie’s lumbar spine (the right side of the image in teal). Part of that scarring process results in deposits of minerals (mostly calcium), which does show up on x-ray images, and looks similar to bone. Over time, if surgery is not performed to remove that disc material from around the spinal cord, the extruded disc gets dehydrated and starts to scar down. As more of the toothpaste inside comes out, the tube becomes smaller and takes up less space. When the disc material ruptures out, it’s like a tube of toothpaste squeezing out its contents. In his thoracic spine, where the vertebrae have ribs attached (seen on the left side of the image in purple), we can see that one of his disc spaces appears quite narrow compared to the others around it. ![]() In the image shown below of my own dog’s spine (Ralphie), he has evidence of IVDD visible in two separate locations. But even though we can’t see the discs and spinal cord, we can often find clues on x-ray images that IVDD could be a problem for that patient. The actual disc itself is not visible on regular x-ray images, nor is the spinal cord, and in order to visualize these structures, advanced imaging such as an MRI is often necessary. How is Intervertebral Disc Disease Diagnosed? IVDD is a degenerative disease in which the outermost structures of the disc-the part that’s right up against the spinal cord-break down over time, allowing the inner portion of the disc to rupture out of its designated space between the vertebrae, and apply pressure to the spinal cord. Coursing through the vertebrae, in a canal just above the disc spaces, we find the spinal cord. Between those vertebrae is a blank space within which lives the intervertebral disc, which provides a cushion between the bones that allows for spinal flexibility and ease of movement. In the x-ray image (radiograph) shown above, you can see the vertebrae, which are the bones that make up the spine. ![]()
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