There is a clear need for new methods of treatment of acute disc herniation in dogs, most obviously to address the permanent loss of function that can arise because of the associated spinal cord injury. Clinical trials form the optimal method to introduce new therapies into everyday clinical practice because they are a reliable source of unbiased evidence of effectiveness. Although many designs are available, parallel cohort trials are most widely applicable to acute disc herniation in dogs. In this review another key trial design decision—that between pragmatic and explanatory approaches—is highlighted and used as a theme to illustrate the close relationship between trial objective and design. Acute disc herniation, and acute spinal cord injury, is common in dogs and there is a multitude of candidate interventions that could be trialed. Most current obstacles to large-scale clinical trials in dogs can be overcome by collaboration and cooperation amongst interested veterinarians.

显然需要治疗犬急性椎间盘突出症的新方法，最明显的是解决由于相关的脊髓损伤而引起的永久性功能丧失。临床试验是将新疗法引入日常临床实践的最佳方法，因为它们是有效的无偏证据的可靠来源。尽管有许多设计可用，但平行队列试验最广泛适用于狗的急性椎间盘突出症。在这篇综述中，另一个关键的试验设计决策-务实的和解释性的方法之间的决策-被突出显示并用作说明试验目标和设计之间紧密关系的主题。急性椎间盘突出症和急性脊髓损伤在狗中很常见，并且可以尝试多种候选干预措施。