Caudal articular process dysplasia of thoracic vertebrae in neurologically normal French bulldogs,English bulldogs,and Pugs: Prevalence and characteristics

The aims of this study were to evaluate the prevalence and anatomical characteristics of thoracic caudal articular process dysplasia in French bulldogs, English bulldogs and Pugs presenting for problems unrelated to spinal disease. In this retrospective cross‐sectional study, computed tomography scans of the thoracic vertebral column of these three breeds were reviewed for the presence and location of caudal articular process hypoplasia and aplasia, and compared between breeds. A total of 271 dogs met the inclusion criteria: 108 French bulldogs, 63 English bulldogs, and 100 Pugs. A total of 70.4% of French bulldogs, 84.1% of English bulldogs, and 97.0% of Pugs showed evidence of caudal articular process dysplasia. Compared to French and English bulldogs, Pugs showed a significantly higher prevalence of caudal articular process aplasia, but also a lower prevalence of caudal articular process hypoplasia, a higher number of affected vertebrae per dog and demonstrated a generalized and bilateral spatial pattern more frequently. Furthermore, Pugs showed a significantly different anatomical distribution of caudal articular process dysplasia along the vertebral column, with a high prevalence of caudal articular process aplasia between T10 and T13. This area was almost completely spared in French and English bulldogs. As previously suggested, caudal articular process dysplasia is a common finding in neurologically normal Pugs but this also seems to apply to French and English bulldogs. The predisposition of clinically relevant caudal articular process dysplasia in Pugs is possibly not only caused by the higher prevalence of caudal articular process dysplasia, but also by breed specific anatomical characteristics.     

Qualitative assessment of corticosteroid cervical articular facet injection in symptomatic horses

Cervical stenotic myelopathy (CSM) is the most common cause of noninfectious spinal cord ataxia in horses. Intra‐articular injection of corticosteroids into the facet joints of horses with CSM may relieve clinical signs of the disease process. However, there is a paucity of literature regarding the efficacy of facet injection therapy in horses with CSM. This retrospective study describes the return to normal function or improvement in performance of horses after ultrasound‐guided cervical facet injection that had previously shown signs of ataxia, obscure lameness or neck pain, prior to injection.     

Freehand magnetic needle guidance technology for intra-articular cervical injection in horses

The use of ultrasound-guided injections is a widely known and well-established procedure in equine medicine not only for intra-articular procedures but also for treating injuries affecting soft tissues. The aim of this study was to compare the conventional ultrasound-guided technique (CUGT) with a modified ultrasound-guided magnetic navigation technique (MUGT) in the articular process joints spaces of the cervical vertebrae. The aforementioned techniques were compared by measuring the degree of difficulty, the time employed and the success of the procedure (injecting blue methylene into the articular process joints spaces of cadavers to allow us to know whether the procedure was successful). Neck specimens from 11 cadavers were used to conduct this study. To compare the two different techniques, the articular process joints spaces of 11 specimens were injected bilaterally using ultrasound guidance, using one technique on each side. One millilitre of methylene blue was injected into the C2-C3, C3-C4, C4-C5 and C5-C6 articular process joints; then, these joints were dissected to verify the success rate of the injections. The results were similar regarding the success rate of the procedure; however, there were differences in the time employed (25.0 s median runtime for MUGT vs. 32.1 s median runtime for CUGT) and the degree of difficulty (1.3 attempts on average for MUGT vs. 2.4 attempts on average for CUGT). According to the results of this study, MUGT involved less difficulty and slightly less time employed to inject the cervical articular processes joints than CUGT; however, further studies in live horses are needed to assess the efficiency of this method, and studies in other joints or soft tissues are needed to validate the method. This new technique could also improve other equine ultrasound-guided procedures, such as nerve blocks, ultrasound-guided tendon/joints treatments or other articular injections.     

Technique for equine cervical articular process joint injection

Degenerative changes and osteochondrosis of articular processes are common sources of stiffness or pain in the equine cervical spine. Temporary relief of the clinical signs related to these maladies may be achieved by injecting corticosteroids into the joint. This is routinely done by ultrasound-guided needle placement. The cervical articular processes and joint form an easily identifiable sonographic landmark, a step-like echogenic surface described as having the appearance of a "chair."     

曹县地表水水质评价及防治对策

本文利用单因子评价法对曹县区域内的水体进行评价。依据《地表水环境质量标准》（GB3838—2002）标准中的Ⅲ类标准，确定其污染程度，分析原因并提出治理措施，以减少对南四湖水体的污染，为南水北调工程的顺利进行提供保障。     

Radiographic retrospective study of the caudal cervical articular process joints in the horse

Reasons for performing study: Arthropathy of the caudal cervical articular process joints (APJs) in the horse is documented as a cause of ataxia and paresis secondary to spinal cord compression. Enlargement of the caudal APJs is reported to increase with age, but there are no known associations of any other factors. No association of the degree of APJ enlargement with neurological signs seen has been documented. This study investigated the associations of cervical APJ enlargement at the C5‐C6 and C6‐C7 articulations with case subject details (breed, age, sex, usage) and clinical signs. Objectives: To ascertain if there are of any associations between: the subject details and enlargement of the caudal cervical APJs; and the degree of APJ enlargement and the presence and type of clinical signs. Hypotheses: There would be an effect of age, breed and usage on APJ grade, with no effect of sex. Association between grade and clinical signs seen was also investigated. Materials and methods: The radiographs of 122 horses qualified for inclusion. Horses were excluded if they were known to have a neck lesion cranial to C5‐C6, or if the radiographs were rotated or of poor quality. In order to standardise the interpretation of APJ enlargement, a novel grading system was developed and used. Results: An association was found between age and APJ grade at C5‐C6 but not C6‐C7. There was no association between grade, breed, sex and usage, or clinical signs seen. Data also showed a trend for increasing enlargement the more caudal the APJ. Conclusion and potential relevance: The data in this study support that the size of the caudal cervical APJ at the level of C5‐C6, appear to increase with age, but this enlargement may not be significant. Enlargement cannot be associated with breed, sex or discipline of the horse at present, and specific grades and therefore degree of enlargement, cannot necessarily be assumed to be the cause of neurological deficits.