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| Establishment of an underwater and controllable spinal cord blast injury rat model |
| GUO Daxing1，2，WANG Yuqing2，YE Zhengxu2，LUO Zhuojing2，WANG Jianling3，and LAN Lifeng2. |
1. Institute of Orthopaedics and Traumatology of PLA Xijing Hospital，The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, China;
2. Xi’an Modern Chemistry Research Institute, Xi’an 710065, China |
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Abstract Objective To establish an underwater blast injury model of the spinal cord for the study of the overpressure range of blast injury to the spinal cord and its wound characteristics. Methods Eighteen rats were divided into three groups according to the blast overpressure. All the rats underwent laminectomy at the T9-10 level. Then the rats were fixed in a capsule and only the exposed spinal cord was affected by shock wave. The explosive device containing 10 g RDX was used to produce blast waves underwater and the blast overpressure was measured at different distance between the explosive device and the exposed surface of the spinal cord. Then another 12 rats were divided into two groups. In the injury group, all the rats underwent standard blast injury to the spinal cord, and pathological changes of the spinal cord were observed. Results The overpressure of blast waves was 10, 5, 3MPa at 0.3, 0.8, 1.5 m, respectively, from the explosive devive. When the overpressure was 3MPa, the blast extended the MEP latent period by 1.0 ms or reduced the amplitude by 10%, while the rats were still alive. Pathological results of the spinal cord revealed a large scattered hemorrhagic necrosis area, especially in gray matter, and disorganized myelin sheath structure. Conclusions The present experiment demonstrates the overpressure range of blast injury to the spinal cord and provides an underwater blast injury model of the spinal cord. The model is simple, safe and effective.
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Received: 04 January 2012
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