Establishment of a rabbit model of lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration via the paraspinal approach

• Published in: Nan fang yi ke da xue xue bao = Journal of Southern Medical University Vol. 32; no. 3; p. 404
• Main Authors: Cui, Yun-Neng, Zhou, Rong-Ping, Mai, Qi-Guang, Lu, Ming, Xu, Song, Wang, Liang, Li, Shao-Lin, Jin, Da-di
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Chinese
• Published: China 01-03-2012
• Subjects: Animals; Disease Models, Animal; Female; Intervertebral Disc Degeneration; Lumbar Vertebrae - physiopathology; Male; Rabbits
• ISSN: 1673-4254

To establish a rabbit model of intervertebral disc degeneration by puncturing the anulus fibrosus through an approach between the longissimus dorsi muscle and obliquus externus abdominis.
The L(4/5) and L(5/6) intervetebral discs of 6 New Zealand white rabbits were punctured by an 18-gauge pin in the anterolateral annular fibrosus through an approach between the longissimus dorsi muscle and the obliquus externus abdominis with the right transverse processes of L(5) and L(6) resected; the L(2/3) discs were used as the control without exposure or needle stab, and the L(3/4) discs were subjected to sham operation with the discs exposed but not punctured after resecting the right transverse process of L(4). X-ray and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were performed preoperatively and at the 4th week after puncture. At 4 weeks after the operation, histological and immunohistochemical analyses of the discs were carried out.
X-ray of the punctured discs at 4 weeks after the operation presented a significant decrease