Thoracolumbar dorsolateral laminectomy with osteotomy of the spinous process in fourteen dogs

Objective— To describe outcome after an alternative unilateral approach to the thoracolumbar spine for dorsal laminectomy.
Study Design— Retrospective clinical study.
Animals— Dogs (n=14) with thoracolumbar spinal cord compression.
Methods— Thoracolumbar spinal cord compression was lateral (6 dogs), dorsal (4), and dorsolateral (4) caused by subarachnoid (7) and synovial cysts (2) and intradural-extramedullary neoplasia (5). All dogs were treated by dorsal laminectomy with osteotomy of the spinous process using a unilateral paramedian approach. The contralateral paraspinal muscles were not stripped from the spinous process and the osteoligamentous complexes were preserved. Retraction of the spinous process and muscles to the contralateral side resulted in complete visualization of the dorsal vertebral arch thereby allowing dorsal laminectomy to be performed.
Results— No technique complications occurred. Approximately 75% exposure of the spinal cord (dorsal and lateral compartments) was achieved providing adequate visualization and treatment of the lesions. Transient deterioration of neurologic state occurred in 5 dogs because of extensive spinal cord manipulation. At long-term follow-up, 6 dogs were normal, 6 had clinical improvement, and 2 were unchanged.
Conclusion— Dorsal laminectomy after osteotomy and retraction of the spinous process may be considered in canine patients with dorsal, dorsolateral, or lateral compression to facilitate adequate decompression of the spinal cord.
Clinical Significance— This surgical technique offers an alternative approach to the thoracolumbar spine and spinal cord by a modified dorsal laminectomy that preserves the paraspinal muscle integrity on the contralateral side.     

Sevoflurane inhibits equine myeloperoxidase release and activity in vitro

Objective To investigate the effects of the volatile anaesthetic sevoflurane on the release of total and active myeloperoxidase (MPO) by non‐stimulated and stimulated polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) in whole blood from healthy horses. Study design In vitro experimental study. Animals Adult healthy horses. Methods Samples of whole venous blood were collected and incubated in air or in air plus 2.3% or 4.6% sevoflurane for 1 hour. PMNs were stimulated with N‐formyl‐methionyl‐leucyl‐phenylalanine (fMLP), with a combination of cytochalasin B (CB) and fMLP or with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). Total and active MPO contents released by PMNs in blood were measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and specific immunological extraction followed by enzymatic detection (SIEFED) respectively. Additional experiments were performed to assess the effect of sevoflurane on the peroxidase and chlorination cycles of purified equine MPO using Amplex Red and 3’‐(p‐aminophenyl) fluorescein as fluorogenic substrates respectively. Results As compared with air alone, 1 hour exposure of whole blood to 4.6% sevoflurane in air significantly inhibited the release of total and active MPO by unstimulated and both fMLP‐ and CB + fMLP‐stimulated PMNs but not by PMA‐stimulated PMNs. Although 2.3% sevoflurane had no effect on total MPO release by unstimulated and stimulated PMNs, it significantly reduced the release of active MPO by unstimulated and fMLP‐stimulated PMNs. Additionally, sevoflurane reversibly inhibited the activity of MPO, especially the peroxidase cycle of the enzyme. Conclusions and clinical relevance Although our experimental study was not designed to assess the effects of sevoflurane in vivo, this inhibition of MPO release and activity may have relevance for anaesthetized horses and deserves further studies to examine the clinical importance of these findings.