🔍 Key Findings

• Locked facet injuries in dogs involved unilateral dorsal displacement of the cranial articular process of the caudal vertebra, most commonly at C5/6 or C6/7.
• All affected dogs were small/toy breeds, typically following trauma (most often attacks by larger dogs).
• Neurologic severity ranged from ambulatory tetraparesis to tetraplegia, often with thoracic limb deficits more severe than pelvic limbs — suggesting a central cord syndrome-like pattern.
• CT and MRI revealed axial rotation, subluxation, and articular process displacement; MRI showed T2 hyperintensity, nerve root impingement, and soft tissue changes.
• Surgical treatment included ventral fixation with screws, pins, and PMMA, and one case required dorsal facetectomy for reduction.
• Medical management, including external coaptation or rest, also resulted in functional recovery in select cases.
• All dogs with follow-up data (8/8) had functional recovery, with nonambulatory dogs regaining ambulation in a median of 4 weeks.
• No consistent differences in outcome were observed between surgical and nonsurgical management, suggesting locked facets may be biomechanically stable.