Development of an Improved Rabbit Model of Spinal Cord Compression by Embolectomy Catheter

The aim of this experimental study was to evaluate the efficacy of epidural balloon inflation into the unroofed spinal cord for the creation of a experimental spinal cord injury model in rabbits. Ten New Zealand white rabbits were used for this study. Before operation and after anasthesia with 60 mg/kg ketamine and 6 mg/kg xylazine. A midline skin incision was done on the lumbar skin at the level of L1-L4 lumbar vertebrae. Paravertebral muscles were bluntly dissected bilaterally. A microhemilaminotomy was done in the right L3 lamina close to the midline. An arteial embolectomy catheter was inserted into the spinal column between the bone and dura mater to the level of L1-L2 intervertebral space. The microballoon was gradually inflated by using a volume-controlled microballoon inflation syringe over a period of 3 minutes. The microballoon was deflated 8 minutes later and removed completely from the epidural space. All rabbits were paraplegic after the operation. In conclusion, this experimental study demonstrated that the microballoon inflation technique is a very successful method for the evaluation of spinal cord injury in rabbits. Unroofing of the spinal column is extremely important because decompression may be an effective treatment in spinal cord injury. A suitable spinal injury model was created, that is minimally invasive, uniform and easily reproducible.