especially the eighth (T8). Neurologic signs result from severe angulation of the spine, narrowing of the spinal canal, instability of the spine, and luxation or fracture of the vertebrae. Signs include rear limb weakness or paralysis, urinary or fecal incontinence, and spinal pain. Most cases of hemivertebrae have no or mild symptoms, so treatment is usually conservative. Severe cases may respond to surgical spinal cord decompression and vertebral stabilization. Associations Recognised associations are many and include: Aicardi syndrome, cleidocranial dysostosis, gastroschisis 3, Gorlin syndrome, fetal pyelectasis 3, Jarcho-Levin syndrome, OEIS complex, VACTERL association. The probable cause of hemivertebrae is a lack of blood supply causing part of the vertebrae not to form. Hemivertebrae in dogs are most common in the tail, resulting in a screw shape. Block vertebrae Block vertebrae occur when there is improper segmentation of the vertebrae, leading to parts of or the entire vertebrae being fused. The adjacent vertebrae fuse through their intervertebral discs and also through other intervertebral joints so that it can lead to blocking or stretching of the exiting nerve roots from that segment. It may lead to certain neurological problems depending on the severity of the block. It can increase stress on the inferior and the superior intervertebral joints. It can lead to an abnormal angle in the spine, there are certain syndromes associated with block vertebrae; for example, Klippel–Feil syndrome. The sacrum is a normal block vertebra. Fossil record Evidence for block vertebrae found in the fossil record is studied by paleopathologists, specialists in ancient disease and injury. A block vertebra has been documented in T. rex. This suggests that the basic development pattern of vertebrae goes at least as far back as the most recent common ancestor of archosaurs and mammals. The tyrannosaur's block vertebra was probably caused by a "failure of the resegmentation of the sclerotomes". Butterfly vertebrae Butterfly vertebrae have a sagittal cleft through the body of the vertebrae and a funnel shape at the ends. This gives the appearance of a butterfly on an x-ray. It is caused by persistence of the notochord (which usually only remains as the center of the intervertebral disc) during vertebrae formation. There are usually no symptoms. There are also coronal clefts mainly in skeletal dysplasias such as chondrodysplasia punctata. In dogs, butterfly vertebrae occur most often in Bulldogs, Pugs, and Boston Terriers. Transitional vertebrae Transitional vertebrae have the characteristics of two types