| Autor: |
Oswald KAC; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland., Bigdon SF; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland., Croft AS; Tissue Engineering for Orthopaedics and Mechanobiology, Bone & Joint Program, Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), Medical Faculty, University of Bern, CH-3008 Bern, Switzerland., Bermudez-Lekerika P; Tissue Engineering for Orthopaedics and Mechanobiology, Bone & Joint Program, Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), Medical Faculty, University of Bern, CH-3008 Bern, Switzerland., Bergadano A; Experimental Animal Center, Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), Medical Faculty, University of Bern, CH-3008 Bern, Switzerland., Gantenbein B; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland.; Tissue Engineering for Orthopaedics and Mechanobiology, Bone & Joint Program, Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), Medical Faculty, University of Bern, CH-3008 Bern, Switzerland., Albers CE; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland. |
| Abstrakt: |
The rat model is a common model for intervertebral disc (IVD) and spinal research. However, complications remain challenging. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are validated methods to minimize complications and improve safety and quality of studies. However, a SOP for rat spinal fusion surgery has been missing until now. Therefore, the aim of the study was to develop a SOP for spinal tail disc surgery in elderly Wistar rats (419.04 ± 54.84 g). An initial preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative surgical setup, including specific anaesthesia and pain management protocols, was developed. Anaesthesia was induced by subcutaneous injection of a pre-mixture of fentanyl, midazolam, and medetomidin with the addition of 0.5% isoflurane in oxygen and caudal epidural analgesia. The surgery itself consisted of the fixation of a customized external ring fixator with ⌀ 0.8 mm Kirschner wires at the proximal rat tail and a discectomy and replacement with bone morphogenetic protein coated beta-tricalcium-phosphate carrier. The postoperative setup included heating, analgesia with buprenorphine, and meloxicam, as well as special supplementary food. Anaesthesia, surgery, and pain management were sufficient. In the presented optimized SOP, no animals developed any complications. A SOP for spinal surgery in elderly rats in an in vivo spinal fusion model was developed successfully. This novel protocol can improve transparency, reproducibility, and external validity in experimental rat spinal surgery experiments. |
