Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Same impact momentum causes different degrees of spinal cord injury

  • Article
  • Neuroscience
  • Published:
Chinese Science Bulletin

Abstract

The weight-drop impact is widely used in making animal model of spinal cord injury (SCI). But there has not yet been an appropriate unit for the quantification of the impact. In this study, we compared the degrees of the spinal cord injury caused by weight-drop impact with the same momentum but different combinations of drop weight and drop height, in order to test whether “momentum” is capable of being the unit for the quantification of weight-drop impact. Thirty adult rats were randomly allocated to three groups and were injured with 5 g–10 cm (group A), 10 g–2.5 cm (group B) and 15 g–1.11 cm (group C) impacts with the same momentum to the spinal cord, respectively. Open-field locomotor function was evaluated using the Basso–Beattie–Bresnahan (BBB) locomotor rating scale. The percentage of spared tissue area (STA) at the epicenter, and 500, 1000 and 1500 μm from the epicenter was calculated using serial sections stained by hematoxylin and eosin. As a result, the behavioral recovery (BBB scores) and the STA percentage were similar in group B and group C. However, the BBB score in group A was significantly lower than that in groups B and C at the same time point post injury. The STA percentage was significantly less and the lesion/cavity length was significantly greater in group A than in groups B and C. These suggested that the 5 g–10 cm weight-drop impact, compared with the other two impacts with different weights and heights, caused a greater damage of the spinal cord when the momentum was the same. So, these impacts with the same momentum but different weights and drop heights cause different degrees of spinal cord injury. Momentum alone is inadequate to be the unit for the qualification of weight-drop impact and to be used to predict the extent of injury.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Dunham KA, Floyd CL (2011) Contusion models of spinal cord injury in rats. Animal models of movement disorders. Springer, Berlin, pp 345–362

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  2. Scheff SW, Rabchevsky AG, Fugaccia I et al (2003) Experimental modeling of spinal cord injury: characterization of a force-defined injury device. J Neurotrauma 20:179–193

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Young W (2009) Mascis spinal cord contusion model. Animal models of acute neurological injuries. Springer, Berlin, pp 411–421

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  4. Dohrmann G, Panjabi MM (1976) “Standardized” spinal cord trauma: biomechanical parameters and lesion volume. Surg Neurol 6:263–267

    Google Scholar 

  5. Panjabi MM, Wrathall JR (1988) Biomechanical analysis of experimental spinal cord injury and functional loss. Spine 13:1365–1370

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Panjabi MM (1987) Experimental spinal cord trauma a biomechanical viewpoint. Spinal Cord 25:217–220

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Kearney PA, Ridella SA, Viano DC et al (1988) Interaction of contact velocity and cord compression in determining the severity of spinal cord injury. J Neurotrauma 5:187–208

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Tian W, Han XG, Liu YJ et al (2013) Intrathecal epigallocatechin gallate treatment improves functional recovery after spinal cord injury by upregulating the expression of BDNF and GDNF. Neurochem Res 38:772–779

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Çevik Ö, Erşahin M, Şener TE et al (2013) Beneficial effects of quercetin on rat urinary bladder after spinal cord injury. J Surg Res 183:695–703

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Young W (2002) Spinal cord contusion models. Prog Brain Res 137:231–255

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Ghasemlou N, Kerr BJ, David S (2005) Tissue displacement and impact force are important contributors to outcome after spinal cord contusion injury. Exp Neurol 196:9–17

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Molt JT, Nelson LR, Poulos DA et al (1979) Analysis and measurement of some sources of variability in experimental spinal cord trauma. J Neurosurg 50:784–791

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Hua ZX, Li JM, He CT et al (1988) Discussion of the allen technique for the experiment of spinal cord impact. Chin Sci Bull 33:218–223 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  14. Basso DM, Beattie MS, Bresnahan JC (1996) Graded histological and locomotor outcomes after spinal cord contusion using the NYU weight-drop device versus transection. Exp Neurol 139:244–256

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Basso DM, Beattie MS, Bresnahan JC (1995) A sensitive and reliable locomotor rating-scale for open-field testing in rats. J Neurotrauma 12:1–21

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Basso DM, Beattie MS, Bresnahan JC et al (1996) Mascis evaluation of open field locomotor scores: effects of experience and teamwork on reliability. J Neurotrauma 13:343–359

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Casas CE, Herrera LP, Prusmack C et al (2005) Effects of epidural hypothermic saline infusion on locomotor outcome and tissue preservation after moderate thoracic spinal cord contusion in rats. J Neurosurg Spine 2:308–318

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgment

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81271340).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, 710004, China

    Le Ji, Xiaoqian Dang, Binshang Lan, Qichun Song, Zhe Ji & Yongtao Zhang

  2. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Shaanxi Provincial People’s Hospital, Xi’an, 710004, China

    Dapeng Duan

  3. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Xi’an Honghui Hospital, Xi’an, 710004, China

    Lisong Heng

Authors
  1. Le Ji
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Xiaoqian Dang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Binshang Lan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Qichun Song
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Dapeng Duan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Zhe Ji
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Yongtao Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Lisong Heng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xiaoqian Dang.

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ji, L., Dang, X., Lan, B. et al. Same impact momentum causes different degrees of spinal cord injury. Chin. Sci. Bull. 59, 4298–4303 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-014-0487-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-014-0487-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation