Atlanto-axial approach for cervical myelography in a Thoroughbred horse with complete fusion of the atlanto-occipital bones.

A 2-year-old Thoroughbred gelding with clinical signs localized to the first 6 spinal cord segments (C1 to C6) had complete fusion of the atlanto-occipital bones which precluded performing a routine myelogram. An ultrasound-assisted myelogram at the intervertebral space between the atlas and axis was successfully done and identified a marked extradural compressive myelopathy at the level of the atlas and axis, and axis and third cervical vertebrae.

Approche atlanto-axiale pour une myélographie cervicale chez un cheval Thoroughbred avec la fusion complète des os occipito-atloïdiens. Un hongre Thoroughbred âgé de 2 ans avec des signes cliniques localisés aux 6 premiers segments de la colonne vertébrale (C1 à C6) avait une fusion complète des os occipito-atloïdiens qui empêchait la réalisation d'un myélogramme de routine. Un myélogramme par échographie à l'espace intervertébral entre l'atlas et l'axis a été réalisé avec succès et a identifié une myélopathie extradurale compressive prononcée au niveau de l'atlas et de l'axis ainsi que de l'axis et de la troisième vertèbre cervicale.(Traduit par Isabelle Vallières).

Influence of the chemical shift artifact on measurements of compact bone thickness in equine distal limb MR images.

The effect of the chemical shift artifact, resulting from misregistration or phase cancellation at the interface between compact and trabecular bone, on apparent bone thickness was quantified in six isolated equine limbs. Sagittal T1-weighted spin echo (SE) and in-phase three-dimensional spoiled gradient echo (SPGR) images were acquired twice with a 1.5 T magnetic resonance (MR) unit, switching the frequency encoding direction between acquisitions. Out-of-phase SPGR images were also obtained. MR images with different frequency encoding directions were compared with each other and to radiographs made from corresponding 3-mm-bone sections. Compact bone thickness was significantly different when comparing images acquired with different frequency encoding directions for both SE and SPGR sequences. Significant differences were identified in the frequency but not the phase encoding direction when measurements of compact bone in MR images were compared with measurements obtained from thin section radiographs for the majority of surfaces studied (P < 0.05). Correction of MR measurements with the calculated chemical shift abolished these differences (P > 0.05). Measurements of compact bone from out-of-phase SPGR sequences were significantly different than from in-phase sequences (P < 0.001) with out-of-phase measurements greater than in-phase measurements by an average of 0.38mm. These results indicate that the chemical shift artifact results in errors in MR evaluation of compact bone thickness when measurements are performed in the frequency encoding direction or in out-of-phase images. For better accuracy, measurements should be performed parallel to the phase encoding direction and avoiding out-of-phase gradient echo sequences.

Endochondral growth in growth plates of three species at two anatomical locations modulated by mechanical compression and tension.

Sustained mechanical loading alters longitudinal growth of bones, and this growth sensitivity to load has been implicated in progression of skeletal deformities during growth. The objective of this study was to quantify the relationship between altered growth and different magnitudes of sustained altered stress in a diverse set of nonhuman growth plates. The sensitivity of endochondral growth to differing magnitudes of sustained compression or distraction stress was measured in growth plates of three species of immature animals (rats, rabbits, calves) at two anatomical locations (caudal vertebra and proximal tibia) with two different ages of rats and rabbits. An external loading apparatus was applied for 8 days, and growth was measured as the distance between fluorescent markers administered 24 and 48 h prior to euthanasia. An apparently linear relationship between stress and percentage growth modulation (percent difference between loaded and control growth plates) was found, with distraction accelerating growth and compression slowing growth. The growth-rate sensitivity to stress was between 9.2 and 23.9% per 0.1 MPa for different growth plates and averaged 17.1% per 0.1 MPa. The growth-rate sensitivity to stress differed between vertebrae and the proximal tibia (15 and 18.6% per 0.1 MPa, respectively). The range of control growth rates of different growth plates was large (30 microns/day for rat vertebrae to 366 microns/day for rabbit proximal tibia). The relatively small differences in growth-rate sensitivity to stress for a diverse set of growth plates suggest that these results might be generalized to other growth plates, including human. These data may be applicable to planning the management of progressive deformities in patients having residual growth.