Spinal shock--comparative aspects and clinical relevance. Academic Article

abstract

• Spinal shock is the loss of muscle tone and segmental spinal reflexes that develops caudal to a severe spinal cord injury. Although little recognized in the veterinary literature, spinal shock occurs in animals and is important in both accurate lesion localization and case management. In this review, we consider why spinal shock occurs and discuss the subsequent physiologic alterations, including the development of reflex hyperactivity. We also discuss differences in the expression of spinal shock between species and suggest why recovery of reflexes is relatively rapid in animals compared with humans. Finally, the implications for clinicians dealing with animals in the period immediately after severe spinal injury are considered.

authors

• Jeffery, Nicholas

published proceedings

• J Vet Intern Med

author list (cited authors)

• Smith, P. M., & Jeffery, N. D.

citation count

• 2

complete list of authors

• Smith, PM||Jeffery, ND

publication date

• November 2005

publisher

• Wiley  Publisher

published in

• JOURNAL OF VETERINARY INTERNAL MEDICINE  Journal

keywords

• Animals
• Dog Diseases
• Dogs
• Humans
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• Male
• Spinal Cord Diseases

PubMed Central ID

• 16355670

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.1892/0891-6640(2005)19[788:ssaacr]2.0.co;2

start page

• 788

end page

• 793

volume

• 19

issue

• 6