Microsurgical Approach to Spinal Canal in Rats

Abstract

The rodent spine is used for a variety of models, including spinal instability (de Medinaceli and Wyatt, J Neural Transplant Plast 4:39–52, 1993), neuronal regeneration (Kwon et al., Spine 27:1504–1510, 2002), infection studies (Ofluoglu et al., Arch Orthop Trauma Surg 127:391–396, 2007), and studies about the cauda-equina-syndrome (Kobayashi et al., J Orthop Res 22:180–188, 2004). It is an interdisciplinary target for urologic (Hoang et al., J Neurosci 26:8672–8679, 2006), orthopedic (Iwamoto et al., Spine 20:2750–2757, 1995; Spine 22:2636–2640, 1997), neurologic (Takenobu et al., J Neurosci Methods 104:191–198, 2001), and neurosurgical (Xiao and Godec, Paraplegia 32:300–307, 1994) questions. However, no standard procedure to approach the spinal cord in rats has been published in detail. We present a description of a dorsal approach to the spine, spinal canal and myelon of the rat. This approach provides sufficient exposure of the neural structures to perform extended microsurgery at the spinal nerve roots, the lateral and dorsal myelon and vertebral structures under a surgical microscope. Perioperative management, anesthesia, and anatomical landmarks are discussed and common pitfalls are described.