Establishment of a novel method for spinal discectomy surgery in elderly rats in an in vivo spinal fusion model

3Citations
Citations of this article
11Readers
Mendeley users who have this article in their library.

Abstract

The rat model is a common model for intervertebral disc (IVD) and spinal research. However, complications remain challenging. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are validated methods to minimize complications and improve safety and quality of studies. However, a SOP for rat spinal fusion surgery has been missing until now. Therefore, the aim of the study was to develop a SOP for spinal tail disc surgery in elderly Wistar rats (419.04 ± 54.84 g). An initial preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative surgical setup, including specific anaesthesia and pain management protocols, was developed. Anaesthesia was induced by subcutaneous injection of a pre-mixture of fentanyl, midazolam, and medetomidin with the addition of 0.5% isoflurane in oxygen and caudal epidural analgesia. The surgery itself consisted of the fixation of a customized external ring fixator with ∅ 0.8 mm Kirschner wires at the proximal rat tail and a discectomy and replacement with bone morphogenetic protein coated beta-tricalcium-phosphate carrier. The postoperative setup included heating, analgesia with buprenorphine, and meloxicam, as well as special supplementary food. Anaesthesia, surgery, and pain management were sufficient. In the presented optimized SOP, no animals developed any complications. A SOP for spinal surgery in elderly rats in an in vivo spinal fusion model was developed successfully. This novel protocol can improve transparency, reproducibility, and external validity in experimental rat spinal surgery experiments.

Cite

CITATION STYLE

APA

Oswald, K. A. C., Bigdon, S. F., Croft, A. S., Bermudez-Lekerika, P., Bergadano, A., Gantenbein, B., & Albers, C. E. (2021). Establishment of a novel method for spinal discectomy surgery in elderly rats in an in vivo spinal fusion model. Methods and Protocols, 4(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/mps4040079

Register to see more suggestions

Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.

Already have an account?

Save time finding and organizing research with Mendeley

Sign up for free