Mini-hemilaminectomy and lateral partial corpectomy for ventral spinal cord compression caused by severe L2-L3 disc protrusion in a cat

Abstract

A 9-year-old neutered male Russian Blue cat presented with progressive hindlimb weakness, pain, and difficulty in jumping or running. MRI revealed a hypointense disc at L2-L3 compressing the ventral spinal cord. Despite conservative treatment, neurological symptoms worsened, and the patient was referred for surgical management. A combined L2-L3 mini-hemilaminectomy and lateral partial corpectomy was performed to decompress the spinal cord. Intraoperatively, the lesion was identified as disc protrusion, with no evidence of intradural extrusion. Postoperative day 1, the left hindlimb showed incomplete paresis despite intact proprioception, the right hindlimb exhibited complete paralysis with loss of proprioception. However postoperative recovery was favorable, with gradual restoration of proprioception and ambulation, culminating in full motor recovery including jumping by 9 weeks post-surgery.