Minimally invasive spine surgery in dogs: Evaluation of the safety and feasibility of a thoracolumbar approach to the spinal cord

Objective To describe the safety and feasibility of a minimally invasive spine surgery technique to access the thoracolumbar vertebral canal in dogs. Study design Prospective study. Animals Six healthy research dogs. Methods Dogs were placed under anesthesia for MRI to evaluate vertebral column and spinal cord integrity. Minimally invasive surgery was performed at multiple sites. Access to the vertebral canal was achieved by means of foraminotomy, discectomy, and lateral minicorpectomy by using minimally invasive access and a surgical microscope. Sequential neurological examinations, pressure algometry pain quantification, and creatine kinase levels were evaluated before and after surgery for 7 days. Magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, and histopathology were performed on day 6 postoperatively after animals were humanely killed to evaluate the impact of surgery on spinal cord, muscles, and bone. Results The vertebral canal was successfully accessed, and the ventral aspect of the spinal cord was identified at all sites. No neurological deterioration was observed. Postoperative pain was not different compared with baseline except in one dog on the day after surgery. Conclusion Minimally invasive spine surgery was a safe and feasible technique to access the thoracolumbar vertebral canal and the ventral aspect of the spinal cord in dogs. Findings supported postoperative pain benefits. Clinical significance Minimally invasive spine surgery is a valid surgical technique to access the thoracolumbar vertebral canal at single or multiple sites in dogs.