Front Matter

438 Canine Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation

Trauma

Spinal fractures are the result of the load exceed­
ing the bone’s strength (Figure 17.18). Luxations
of the vertebrae without fractures occur when
external forces exceed the strength of the soft tis­
sues holding the vertebrae in place (Figure 17.19).
Combinations of both types of spinal injuries are
common. In everyday veterinary practice, the
vast majority of these fractures/luxations occur
from severe external trauma that is most often
from automobile‐induced injuries. Second to
this external injury is weakening of the spinal
structures through internal processes such as
neoplasia or infection or rarely osteoporosis.
Fractures related to these internal complications
are generally grouped together as pathological
fractures (Figure 17.20).
In the canine athlete, the injury most likely to
cause a spinal fracture is a misstep while mov­
ing at speed or an accident involving the equip­
ment necessary for the activity being performed.
Muscle damage and joint capsule tears involv­

ing the paraspinal soft tissue are very likely to

occur with or without bony lesions but have

been very poorly documented. Localized pain

secondary to soft tissue paraspinal injury is

gathering more and more attention, but these

types of injuries related to spinal soft tissue

structures have not been studied in any well‐

organized manner.

At the junction of a very flexible spine to a

rather inflexible spine there is a greater chance

of exceeding the ultimate force of the bony

structures or joints. The vast majority of spinal

fractures occur at the thoracolumbar junction or

at the lumbosacral junction (Feeny & Oliver,

1980; Zotti et al., 2011). Complete dislocations

without fractures, growth plate luxations in the

young dog (Figure  17.18), and body and facet

fractures all occur at these same sites. With the

advent of CT, multiple smaller fractures that

were not evident with radiographs alone are

now appreciated. Although cervical spinal frac­

tures are much less frequently reported, it may

simply be that they are more likely incompatible

Figure 17.18 Lateral radiograph of a spinal fracture through the endplate of a young dog due to an automobile injury.
Notice that there is also a fracture fragment from the body of the vertebra.

Figure 17.19 Lateral radiograph demonstrating a dislocation without any fracture due to running at speed into a tree.
Some such radiographs will demonstrate fractures with advanced imaging.