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In Vivo and In Vitro Analysis of Rat Lumbar Spine Mechanics

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Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research®

Abstract

Background

Rodent lumbar and caudal (tail) spine segments provide useful in vivo and in vitro models for human disc research. In vivo caudal models allow characterization of the effect of static and dynamic loads on disc mechanics of individual animals with time, but the lumbar models have required sacrifice of the animals for in vitro mechanical testing.

Questions/purposes

We therefore developed a novel displacement controlled in vivo lumbar spine noninvasive induced angular displacement (NIAD) test; data obtained with NIAD were used to compare angular displacement between segmental levels (L4/L5, L5/L6 and L6/S1), interobserver radiograph measurement agreement, and intraobserver radiograph measurement repeatability. Measurements from NIAD were compared with angular displacement, bending stiffness, and moment to failure measured by an in vitro test.

Methods

Anesthetized Lewis rats were xrayed in a 90° angled fixture, and NIAD was measured at lumbar levels L4 to S1 by two independent and blinded observers. After euthanasia, in vitro angular displacement (IVAD), stiffness, and failure moment were measured for the combined L4-L6 segment in four-point bending.

Results

NIAD was greater at L4/L5 and L5/L6 than at L6/S1. Combined coronal NIAD for L4-L6 was 42.8° ± 5.3° and for IVAD was 61.5° ± 3.8°. Reliability assessed by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was 0.905 and 0.937 for intraobserver radiograph measurements, and interobserver ICCs ranged from 0.387 to 0.653 for individual levels. The interobserver ICC was 0.911 for combined data from all levels. Reliability for test-retest NIAD measurements had an ICC of 0.932. In vitro failure moment correlated with NIAD left bending.

Conclusions

The NIAD method yielded reproducible and reliable rat lumbar spine angular displacement measurements without required euthanasia, and allows repetitive monitoring of animals with time. For lumbar spine research studies performed during a course of time, the NIAD method may reduce animal numbers required by providing serial angular displacement measurements without euthanasia.

Clinical Relevance

Improved methods to assess comparative models for disease or aging may permit enhanced clinical treatments and improved patient care.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. Thomas Lawhorne for assistance with data collection and Dr. Bernard A. Rawlins for helpful discussions.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hospital for Special Surgery, 535 East 70th Street, New York, NY, 10021, USA

    Matthew E. Cunningham MD, PhD, Jocelyn M. Beach BS, Serkan Bilgic MD, Oheneba Boachie-Adjei MD, Marjolein C. H. van der Meulen PhD & Chisa Hidaka MD

  2. Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA

    Matthew E. Cunningham MD, PhD & Oheneba Boachie-Adjei MD

  3. Cornell University, Sibley School of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Ithaca, NY, USA

    Marjolein C. H. van der Meulen PhD

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  1. Matthew E. Cunningham MD, PhD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Matthew E. Cunningham MD, PhD.

Additional information

One or more of the authors has received funding from: Arthritis Foundation New York Chapter (MEC), Cobb Scoliosis Research Fund (OBA), North American Spine Society (MEC), and Musculoskeletal Repair and Regeneration Core Center NIH P30-AR46121 (MvdM and MEC).

Each author certifies that his or her institution has approved the animal protocol for this investigation and that all investigations were conducted in conformity with ethical principles of research.

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Cunningham, M.E., Beach, J.M., Bilgic, S. et al. In Vivo and In Vitro Analysis of Rat Lumbar Spine Mechanics. Clin Orthop Relat Res 468, 2695–2703 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11999-010-1421-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11999-010-1421-6

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