Characteristic of morphological changes of the spine in selected mammal species

Abstract

Morphological changes of the vertebrae, whether congenital or acquired, are more and more frequent causes of movement difficulties of both humans and other species of mammals. The most frequently diagnosed pathologies of the spine include: degenerative changes, congenital defects, inflammatory diseases, and proliferative changes. This article presents the characteristics of selected morphological changes in the spine, the reasons for their occurrence, and the diagnosis. Some of abnormalities have a genetic basis, sometimes already known, such as in the case of vertebral deformity syndrome in domestic cattle, which is caused by a mutation in the SLC35A3 gene. At other times, the genetic factor is only speculated as in the case of human scoliosis - some studies indicate its autosomal dominant nature of inheritance.