Canine Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, Second Edition. Edited by Chris Zink and Janet B. Van Dyke.
© 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Published 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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Role of the spine in normal gait

The requirements that determine the anatomy
of the spine are diverse and complex. The spine
must support the head and the abdominal con­
tents, allow for propulsion while co‐ordinating

limb movement, and be flexible to a limited

extent, all the while protecting an extremely

delicate structure, the spinal cord (Figure 17.1).

Most veterinary descriptions of the spine are

about mechanical failures of the spine that

result in spinal cord injury. The canine athlete is

Diagnosis of and Treatment

Options for Disorders

of the Spine

H. Steven Steinberg, VMD, DACVIM (Neurology), CCRT, CVA, and

Joan R. Coates, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Neurology)

17

Summary

Almost all of the attention directed toward disorders of the spine involves its role in

protecting the spinal cord. Certainly, damage to the spinal cord can be devastating but

the demands placed upon the canine athlete highlight the functional aspects of the

spine as a structure independent of the nervous tissue it protects. The spine is the scaf-

fold that integrates the propulsive forces of the entire animal. Besides propulsion, the

spine maintains the dog’s head in its most versatile position while preserving energy

expenditure in doing so. The vertebrae are similar but change in conformation deter-

mined by their position and function in relation to the rest of the body. The forces

placed upon the various components of the individual vertebrae have been studied in

discourses on phylogeny and the effects of bone density studies as they relate to

pathology in humans have been examined. The soft tissue structures of the spine

include ligaments, tendons, muscles, joint capsules, and the intervertebral discs.

Although poorly studied, they all add flexibility, strength, and protective forces to

many movements. Degenerative, traumatic, pathological, and congenital malforma-

tions impact normal function but have not been studied in a scientific manner in the

performance of the canine athlete. Surgical and nonsurgical considerations might vary

depending upon the type of performance of a particular canine athlete, and our stand-

ards of care should be re‐evaluated in light of the demands anticipated.