Surgical Stabilisation of the Atlantoaxial Joint in a Cat

Abstract

SummaryA 15-month-old male exotic shorthair cat was presented to the Murdoch University Veterinary Hospital with a 13 month history of progressive ataxia and paresis. Radiography and myelography confirmed atlantoaxial instability and ventral compression of the spinal cord. Surgical stabilisation was achieved with two Kirschner wires and a bone graft via a ventral approach, and an external splint was applied for eight weeks. Four months postoperatively the cat had steadily improved, though neurological deficits were still present and arthrodesis of the atlantoaxial joint was not complete.Atlantoaxial subluxation has only rarely been reported in the cat. This is the third reported case of surgical correction, and a favourable prognosis was achieved in all three cases using a ventral technique. Cardiac arrest has been associated with both ventral and dorsal techniques, and is usually a fatal complication. Fortunately in this case the cat was successfully resuscitated and made a full recovery.