Motor deficit and urinary bladder dysfunction in cats with thoraco-lumbar vertebral fracture and luxation

Abstract

The objective is to present motor deficit and type of neurogenic bladder dysfunction in cats with acute spinal cord injury at the time of presentation and on 60th day of follow up in 22 cats with thoraco-lumbar vertebral fracture and luxations. The differences in distribution of neurological dysfunction with respect to the site of spinal cord injury and association of spasticity in the hindlimbs in prediction of spasticity in bladder/sphincter were analyzed. Spastic neurological dysfunction in hindlimbs and bladder were associated with lesions in thoracolumbar segment (T3-L3) of spinal cord. Whereas, type of bladder dysfunction were either spastic, flaccid or mixed type with flaccid paraplegia in lesions of lumbosacral segment (L4-S3) of spinal cord. Prediction of spastic sphincter is more accurate in increased spinal reflexes than in normal or decreased spinal reflexes. There was no significant association between the site of vertebral lesion and recovery of motor deficit or neurogenic bladder dysfunction.