Summary
Objective: To describe a clinical case of Schmorl's node affecting the lumbosacral disc in an
Airedale Terrier including surgical management, short-term outcome, and review of
the literature.
Methods: A five-year-old male Airedale Terrier with signs of chronic spinal pain and right
hindlimb muscle fasciculation was diagnosed with a Schmorl's node with computed tomography.
Repeat imaging performed two months later identified enlargement of the defect in
the seventh lumbar vertebra (L7) and herniation of the lumbosacral disc into the spinal
canal.
Results: Dorsal laminectomy and discectomy were performed and the defect was treated with
curettage and stabilization of the L7 and first sacral vertebra disc space with pins
and bone cement. Immediately postoperatively, the patient had proprioception deficits
in the hindlimbs and decreased right patellar reflex. Over the next four months the
dog's neurological condition improved and no neurological or gait deficits were present
six months postoperatively.
Clinical significance: Schmorl's node may be a cause of signs of chronic pain in dogs. Successful management
may be achieved surgically, although in the case reported here, recovery was prolonged.
To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of progressive enlargement of
a Schmorl's node in a dog.
Keywords
Schmorl's node - lumbosacral spine - dog - spinal fusion - vertebral body defect
