Page 268 - Equine Clinical Medicine, Surgery and Reproduction, 2nd Edition

Musculoskeletal system: 1.7a The axial skeleton – neck 243

VetBooks.ir 1.458 1.459

Ce 6

Figs. 1.458, 1.459 (1.458) A 13-year-old
Warmblood Prix St Georges dressage horse gelding
with chronic neck stiffness, resistant behaviour
when ridden on the left rein and dermatomal
sweating on the right side. The horse also had an
unrelated left forelimb lameness due to proximal
suspensory desmopathy. (1.459) Laterolateral radiograph of the fifth cervical to first thoracic vertebrae of
the horse in 1.458. Cranial is to the left. There is considerable asymmetric enlargement of the articular
process joints between the fifth and sixth (Ce 6) and sixth and seventh cervical vertebrae, with ventral
buttressing. Oblique images revealed that the osteoarthritic changes were worst on the right side.

1.460 1.461

Ce 6

Figs. 1.460, 4.461 (1.460) Posture typical of root signature (pain associated with nerve root compression).
This 12-year-old advanced event horse had episodic severe left forelimb lameness during flat work and would
stop suddenly, adopting this posture. During these episodes the horse exhibited severe pain on palpation and
muscle tension over the sixth and seventh cervical vertebrae on the left side. (1.461) Laterolateral radiograph
of the sixth (Ce 6) and seventh cervical vertebrae of the horse in 1.460. Cranial is to the left. There is
marked enlargement of the articular process joints between the sixth and seventh cervical vertebrae, with
ventral buttressing. No marked differences could be identified when comparing left to right and right to left
ventrolateral/dorsolateral oblique images. There is also a spur on the caudoventral aspect of the vertebral body
of the sixth cervical vertebra (arrow). Note the small spinous process on the craniodorsal aspect of the seventh
cervical vertebra, a normal variant.