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EQUINE VETERINARY EDUCATION / AE / AUGUST 2020


a)


b)


Fig 3: Lateral–lateral image of the seventh cervical (C7) to second thoracic (T2) vertebrae of Horse 4. Cranial is to the left. There is almost complete obliteration of the intervertebral disc space between C7 and T1. There are radiolucent areas in the subchondral bone of C7 and T1 (white arrows) surrounded by generalised increased opacity (black arrows). The articular process joints of C7–T1 have short pedicles.


Fig 2: a) Slightly oblique lateral–lateral image of the sixth (C6) and seventh (C7) cervical vertebrae of Horse 6. Cranial is to the left. There is complete obliteration of the intervertebral disc space. There is subluxation of C6–7 with dorsal displacement of C7 and flattening of the cranial end plate of C7. b) Right 7⁰ dorsal – left ventral oblique image of C6 to the first thoracic vertebra. There is irregular contour of the dorsocranial aspect of the cranial end plate of C7 and the dorsal aspect of the caudal end plate of C6 (arrow).


with resolution of clinical signs within 1 year. He remains clinically normal 5 years later, but was retired from driving. Horse 3 underwent surgical fusion of the C6–7 intervertebral symphysis at another clinic and has resumed work as an upper level dressage horse. Horse 4 underwent surgical fusion at another clinic, but was unable to stand after general anaesthesia, and was humanely destroyed after 3 days. Horse 7 showed transient improvement only after medication (methyl prednisolone acetate, 40 mg) of the left C6–7articular process joints. Horses 6 and 8 were retired and Horses 2 and 5 were humanely destroyed, because of the severity of ataxia and


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Fig 4: Lateral–lateral image of the seventh cervical (C7) to first thoracic (T1) vertebrae of Horse 2. Cranial is to the left. There are extensive areas of radiolucency in the caudal end plate of C7 and the cranial end plate of T1 (white arrows), with loss of the intervertebral disc space. There is marked ventral displacement of the cranial aspect of T1. This is a translational deformation, spondylolisthesis.


the presence of chronic pain respectively. Post-mortem inspection of the boiled-out vertebrae of Horse 5 revealed multiple pitted lesions in the caudal end plates of C7 and T1,


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