Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association
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Vet Radiol Ultrasound · Mar 2015
Dispersal pattern of injectate following CT-guided perineural infiltration in the canine thoracolumbar spine: a cadaver study.
An increasing proportion of canine patients are presented with chronic thoracolumbar back pain and without compressive spinal lesions. In humans, spinal perineural infiltrations have been reported to have a favorable effect on pain control. The purpose of this prospective cadaver study was to describe the dispersal pattern of injectate following CT-guided spinal perineural infiltration in the canine thoracolumbar region. ⋯ Optimal results were achieved when the needle tip was positioned periforaminally ventral to the cranial contour of the cranial articular process. Findings from this ex vivo study indicated that CT-guided spinal perineural infiltration is feasible for testing in the canine thoracolumbar region and that successful nerve tissue infiltration would likely occur in the majority of sites. Future in vivo studies are needed to determine the safety and efficacy of this technique.
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Vet Radiol Ultrasound · Mar 2015
Feasibility of ultrasound-guided epidural access at the lumbo-sacral space in dogs.
Epidural injections are commonly performed blindly in veterinary medicine. The aims of this study were to describe the lumbosacral ultrasonographic anatomy and to assess the feasibility of an ultrasound-guided epidural injection technique in dogs. A cross sectional anatomic atlas of the lumbosacral region and ex vivo ultrasound images were obtained in two cadavers to describe the ultrasound anatomy and to identify the landmarks. ⋯ The spinal needle or epidural catheter was inserted in a 45° craniodorsal-caudoventral direction through the subcutaneous tissue and the interarcuate ligament until reaching the epidural space. CT examination confirmed the presence of contrast medium in the epidural space in 25/25 dogs, although a variable contamination of the subarachnoid space was also noted. Findings indicated that this ultrasound-guided epidural injection technique is feasible for normal weight and overweight dogs, with and without radiographic abnormalities of the spine.