Luxation of the Cervical Spinal Column as a Cause of Wobbles in a Foal

Summary

The clinical and pathological details of a case of ataxia in a 3-month-old colt are described. A marked protrusion into the vertebral canal of the body of the 3rd cervical vertebra was observed. C₃ and C₂ were immovably joined so that the deformity could not be corrected by extension of the spinal column at this point. There was a compression of the spinal cord corresponding to the protrusion.

The cause of this luxation could not be established. It may be assumed that the distortion was congenital, or caused by trauma at an early stage and that clinical symptoms could be observed only when, a marked narrowing of the vertebral canal had arisen as a result of the growth of the sceleton.

Histopathological examination of the spinal cord at the site of the compression revealed severe malacia with marked gliosis and perivascular fibrosis involving dorsal, lateral and ventral white funiculi and gray matter. Secondary changes were observed ahead of and behind the primary lesion. Distribution and extent of the lesions are shown graphically. In principle, clinical manifestation and pathological findings seem to be very similar to those which are observed in the disease described in the USA and other countries as “wobbles”.