Dorsal Laminectomy in the Horse I. Review of the Literature and Description of a New Procedure

Equine cervical vertebral malformation may result in spinal cord compression that, until recently, has been treated medically. Two descriptions of dorsal laminectomy in the horse indicated the technique could be disastrous, even in the normal horse, and postoperative improvement was variable. In the technique described here, the horse is placed in an oblique lateral position with the neck ventroflexed. A dorsal midline incision is used to expose the cervical vertebrae. Following removal of the soft tissues overlying the dorsal laminae, a Funkquist type B laminectomy is performed. Ligamentum flavum scar tissue, articular facets, and joint capsule are trimmed if they are contributing to the spinal cord compression. The bony defect is filled with a nuchal fat graft, and the surgical site is drained for 4 to 5 days by a suction drainage apparatus. The technique is evaluated in two accompanying articles.