CC BY 4.0 · VCOT Open 2020; 03(02): e170-e176
DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1721030
Case Report

Occipitoatlantoaxial Malformation in a Dog Treated with a Custom-Made Implant

Carina Rotter
1   Department of Neurosurgery and Orthopaedics, Fitzpatrick Referrals Ltd, Eashing, Godalming, United Kingdom
,
Clare Rusbridge
1   Department of Neurosurgery and Orthopaedics, Fitzpatrick Referrals Ltd, Eashing, Godalming, United Kingdom
2   School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom
,
Noel Fitzpatrick
1   Department of Neurosurgery and Orthopaedics, Fitzpatrick Referrals Ltd, Eashing, Godalming, United Kingdom
› Institutsangaben
Funding Fitzpatrick Referrals Ltd. provided support in the form of salaries and materials for the authors. No third-party funding or support was received.

Abstract

Background Occipitoatlantoaxial malformation (OAAM) is reported rarely in dogs and few treatment options are described. The congenital condition is thought to be associated with a proatlas re-segmentation failure resulting in malformation and malalignment of the craniovertebral junction which can result in C1 to 5 myelopathic signs.

Methods Customized three-dimensional printed locking plate with trajectory screw implantation points for the stabilization of the atlantoaxial joint in a dog with OAAM. The dog was evaluated at time points 0, 2, 6 and 9 months to determine clinical outcome, degree of fusion, implant positioning and subsidence.

Results New bone formation was noted 9 months after surgery, but complete fusion remained absent, although no implant failure occurred. Clinically, the dog made a good recovery and was able to exercise normally 9 months after surgery. The only residual deficit was a subtle left-sided cervical torticollis.

Clinical Significance This report illustrates a management option and outcome of a dog treated with OAAM. Collaboration between clinicians and engineers provides a new dimension of care for patients with vertebral malformations.

Authors' Contributions

All authors contributed to the concept of the study. C. Rotter was responsible for the acquisition of data. Data analysis and interpretation was performed by C. Rotter and N.F. All authors drafted, revised and approved of the submitted manuscript.


Note

Preliminary results were presented as a poster and abstract at the annual congress of the European Society of Veterinary Neurology/European College of Veterinary Neurology (ESVN-ECVN), Wroclaw, Poland, 13–14 September 2019.




Publikationsverlauf

Eingereicht: 14. April 2020

Angenommen: 01. Oktober 2020

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
23. November 2020

© 2020. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, permitting unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is properly cited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Rüdigerstraße 14, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany

 
  • References

  • 1 Bailey CS, Morgan JP. Congenital spinal malformations. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract 1992; 22 (04) 985-1015
  • 2 Electricwala AJ, Harsule A, Chavan V, Electricwala JT. Complete atlantooccipital assimilation with basilar invagination and atlantoaxial subluxation treated non-surgically: a case report. Cureus 2017; 9 (06) e1327 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.1327.
  • 3 Gunji M, Kawada S. A case of congenital occipitoatlantoaxial malformation in a wild Japanese Serow (Capricornis crispus). Bull Natl Mus Nat Sci Ser A 2019; 45 (01) 31-33
  • 4 Jaggy A, Hutto VL, Roberts RE, Oliver JE. Occipitoatlantoaxial malformation with atlantoaxial subluxation in a cat. J Small Anim Pract 1991; 32 (07) 366-372
  • 5 Seva JI, Gómez S, Pallarés FJ, Sánchez P, Bernabé A. Occipitoatlantoaxial malformation in an adult goat. J Vet Diagn Invest 2008; 20 (05) 654-656
  • 6 Watson AG, de Lahunta A, Evans HE. Morphology and embryological interpretation of a congenital occipito-atlanto-axial malformation in a dog. Teratology 1988; 38 (05) 451-459
  • 7 Galban EM, Gilley RS, Long SN. Surgical stabilization of an occipitoatlantoaxial malformation in an adult dog. Vet Surg 2010; 39 (08) 1001-1004
  • 8 Read R, Brett S, Cahill J. Axial malformation in the dog. Aust Vet Pract 1987; 17 (04) 184-189
  • 9 Mayhew J. Congenital, genetic, and familial disorders. In: Large Animal Neurology. 2nd edition.. Chichester, UK: Wiley-Blackwell; 2009: 199-200
  • 10 Sakamoto K, Kiupel M, Frank N, March PA. Vertebral malformation, syringomyelia, and ventricular septal defect in a dromedary camel (Camelius dromedarius). J Vet Diagn Invest 2004; 16 (04) 337-340
  • 11 Petite A, McConnell F, De Stefani A, McKee M, Dennis R. Congenital occipito-atlanto-axial malformation in five dogs. In: Abstracts from the Annual Conference of the European Association of Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging; 2009;50(1): 111-129
  • 12 Menezes AH. Craniocervical developmental anatomy and its implications. Childs Nerv Syst 2008; 24 (10) 1109-1122
  • 13 Graham F, Rusbridge C. eds. Developmental anatomy. In: Syringomyelia—A Disorder of CSF Circulation. 1st edition.. Berlin, Germany: Springer-Verlag; 2014: 54-60
  • 14 Menezes AH, Fenoy KA. Remnants of occipital vertebrae: proatlas segmentation abnormalities. Neurosurgery 2009; 64 (05) 945-953 , discussion 954
  • 15 Klimo Jr P, Kan P, Rao G, Apfelbaum R, Brockmeyer D. Os odontoideum: presentation, diagnosis, and treatment in a series of 78 patients. J Neurosurg Spine 2008; 9 (04) 332-342
  • 16 Zhang Z, Wang H, Liu C. Acute traumatic cervical cord injury in pediatric patients with os odontoideum: a series of 6 patients. World Neurosurg 2015; 83 (06) 1180.e1-1180.e6
  • 17 Franch J, Lopez C. Atlas der chirurgischen Zugaenge - Hund und Katze. 2nd edition.. Amsterdam, the Netherlands: Elsevier; 2010: 126-130
  • 18 Shores A, Brisson BA. Current Techniques in Canine and Feline Neurosurgery. 1st edition.. Hoboken, NJ: Blackwell; 2017: 450-451
  • 19 Oda I, Abumi K, Sell LC, Haggerty CJ, Cunningham BW, McAfee PC. Biomechanical evaluation of five different occipito-atlanto-axial fixation techniques. Spine 1999; 24 (22) 2377-2382
  • 20 Bierdrzycki AH. Dynamic compression vs. locking plating - Is one “better”?. A review of biomechanical principles and in vitro testing. In: Barnhart MD, Maritato KC. eds. Locking Plates and Implants in Veterinary Orthopedics. Hoboken, NJ: 2019: 29-33
  • 21 Rossmeisl Jr JH, White C, Pancotto TE, Bays A, Henao-Guerrero PN. Acute adverse events associated with ventral slot decompression in 546 dogs with cervical intervertebral disc disease. Vet Surg 2013; 42 (07) 795-806
  • 22 Boydell P. Horner's syndrome following cervical spinal surgery in the dog. J Small Anim Pract 1995; 36 (11) 510-512
  • 23 Traynelis VC, Malone HR, Smith ZA. et al. Rare complications of cervical spine surgery: Horner's Syndrome. Global Spine J 2017; 7 (1, Suppl): 103S-108S