A Controlled Clinical Study of Intensive Neurorehabilitation in Post-Surgical Dogs with Severe Acute Intervertebral Disc Extrusion

Animals, 2021 · DOI: 10.3390/ani11113034 · Published: October 22, 2021

Spinal Cord Injury Veterinary Medicine Neurorehabilitation

Simple Explanation

This study explores the potential intensive neurorehabilitation plasticity effects in post-surgical paraplegic dogs with severe acute intervertebral disc extrusion aiming to achieve ambulatory status. The intensive neurorehabilitation protocol translated in 99.4% (167/168) of recovery in deep pain perception-positive dogs and 58.5% (55/94) in deep pain perception-negative dogs. Thus, intensive neurorehabilitation may be a useful approach for this population of dogs, avoiding future euthanasia and promoting an estimated time window of 3 months to recover.

Study Duration

May 2011 and May 2020

Participants

367 dogs (262 study group, 105 control group)

Evidence Level

Retrospective controlled clinical study

Key Findings

1
DPP+ dogs in the study group had an ambulation rate of 99.4% compared to 75.8% in the control group, demonstrating a statistically significant difference (p < 0.001).
2
In DPP- dogs, the study group showed an ambulation rate of 58.5% compared to 32.6% in the control group, indicating a statistically significant difference (p = 0.007).
3
Of the DPP- dogs that did not recover deep pain perception, 37.2% achieved spinal reflex locomotion within a maximum of 3 months.

Research Summary

This retrospective controlled clinical study aimed to verify if intensive neurorehabilitation (INR) could improve ambulation faster than spontaneous recovery or conventional physiotherapy and provide a possible therapeutic approach in post-surgical paraplegic deep pain perception- positive (DPP+) (with absent/decreased ﬂexor reﬂex) and DPP-negative (DDP−) dogs, with acute intervertebral disc extrusion. Therefore, although it is difﬁcult to assess the contribution of INR for recovery, the results suggested that ambulation success may be improved, mainly regarding time. Thus, its implementation may be useful in acute post-surgical IVDE dogs.

Practical Implications

Improved Ambulation Rates

Intensive neurorehabilitation significantly improves ambulation rates in post-surgical dogs with severe acute intervertebral disc extrusion compared to spontaneous recovery or conventional physiotherapy.

Faster Recovery Time

INR potentially reduces the time required for ambulation recovery, with an estimated period of 3 months for achieving ambulation.

Potential Therapeutic Approach

INR can serve as a useful therapeutic approach for dogs with spinal cord injuries, potentially avoiding euthanasia and promoting recovery, even in cases of absent deep pain perception.

Study Limitations

1
Inability to achieve a level of power (1 −β) of 0.99 and an α (type I error) of 0.05 for each group
2
Lack of a prospective control group with the same conditions and with the same study group size
3
Need to statistically relate the presence of peripheral reﬂexes with ambulation recovery

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