Congenital thoracic vertebral malformations in brachycephalic “screw-tailed” dog breeds: Validation of a human classification scheme and a method of Cobb angle measurement in the assessment of vertebral column deformity

Guevar, Julien (2016) Congenital thoracic vertebral malformations in brachycephalic “screw-tailed” dog breeds: Validation of a human classification scheme and a method of Cobb angle measurement in the assessment of vertebral column deformity. MVM(R) thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

Congenital vertebral malformations are common in brachycephalic “screw-tailed” dog
breeds such as French bulldogs, English bulldogs, Boston terriers, and Pugs. Those
vertebral malformations disrupt the normal vertebral column anatomy and biomechanics,
potentially leading to deformity of the vertebral column and subsequent neurological
dysfunction. The initial aim of this work was to study and determine whether the
congenital vertebral malformations identified in those breeds could be translated in a
radiographic classification scheme used in humans to give an improved classification, with
clear and well-defined terminology, with the expectation that this would facilitate future
study and clinical management in the veterinary field. Therefore, two observers who were
blinded to the neurologic status of the dogs classified each vertebral malformation based
on the human classification scheme of McMaster and were able to translate them
successfully into a new classification scheme for veterinary use.
The following aim was to assess the nature and the impact of vertebral column deformity
engendered by those congenital vertebral malformations in the target breeds. As no gold
standard exists in veterinary medicine for the calculation of the degree of deformity, it was
elected to adapt the human equivalent, termed the Cobb angle, as a potential standard
reference tool for use in veterinary practice. For the validation of the Cobb angle
measurement method, a computerised semi-automatic technique was used and assessed by
multiple independent observers. They observed not only that Kyphosis was the most
common vertebral column deformity but also that patients with such deformity were found
to be more likely to suffer from neurological deficits, more especially if their Cobb angle
was above 35 degrees.

• Item Type: Thesis (MVM(R))
• Qualification Level: Masters
• Subjects: S Agriculture > SF Animal culture > SF600 Veterinary Medicine
• Colleges/Schools: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine > Veterinary Biosciences
• Supervisor's Name: Gutierrez Quintana, Mr Rodrigo and Jim, Prof. Anderson
• Date of Award: 2016
• Depositing User: Mr Julien Guevar
• Unique ID: glathesis:2016-7889
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 25 Jan 2017 08:53
• Last Modified: 16 Feb 2017 09:13
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/7889