Name: Video: Performing Craniectomy on a Pig Using a High-Speed Pneumatic Drill to Access the Brain
Uploaded: 2024-07-05T13:30:00
Description: 42 Views. Performing Craniectomy on a Pig Using a High-Speed Pneumatic Drill to Access the Brain

performing craniectomy on a pig using a high-speed pneumatic drill to access the brain

An Efficient High-Speed Pneumatic Drill Craniectomy to Access the Porcine Brain

In general, animal models are used when practical and/or ethical limitations prohibit the use of human patients to examine diseases or test surgical methods. Novel animal models are generally established to provide new knowledge with translational value to human conditions. Rodents are often utilized due to practical and financial considerations, but they have limited translational value to humans, especially due to substantial anatomical differences1. Pigs, however, offer several advantages compared to rodents. Not only do pigs share several key anatomical, physiological, metabolic, and genetic features with humans, but the size of the porcine organ systems can be weight-matched to resemble human organs2,3. This gives pigs a unique role among surgical animal models and in procedural training4. Although the use of porcine models requires certain practical and financial capabilities compared to the use of rodents, pigs offer both a financially and ethically more acceptable option compared to the use of non-human primates.
The porcine brain is of particular interest in translational neuroscience research. Firstly, the architecture of the pig brain is similar to that of the human brain, as both are white matter-predominant and gyrencephalic3,5,6. Secondly, the larger brain size in pigs compared to rodents permits the use of surgical equipment and various imaging modalities equivalent to those used in clinical settings7,8. Consequently, various porcine models have been used extensively in neuroscience research over recent decades9. The majority of these porcine CNS models, however, require direct analysis of brain tissue, which can be obtained in various ways (e.g., implantation of catheters or electrodes, tissue biopsies, etc.)10. Since most of these modalities require some degree of instrumentalization and direct access to the brain, different approaches for surgical access must be considered.
This method involves performing an anterior craniectomy through the frontal bone on a sedated 3-month-old female Danish Landrace pig. The overall purpose of this manuscript is to describe a method for exposing a large proportion of the ventral porcine brain through a craniectomy using a pneumatic high-speed drill. The first step is to place the subject in a suitable position with an elevated head. Since the porcine cranium is quite different from that of humans, the second step involves planning the placement of the craniectomy using various anatomical landmarks. The third step is to access the underlying dura mater covering both hemispheres without damaging it.

Author Spotlight: A Reproducible and Efficient Method for Accessing Porcine Brain via Craniectomy

Accessing the Porcine Brain via High-Speed Pneumatic Drill Craniectomy

Performing Craniectomy on a Pig Using a High-Speed Pneumatic Drill to Access the Brain

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Research

JoVE Journal

Neuroscience

42 Views. Performing Craniectomy on a Pig Using a High-Speed Pneumatic Drill to Access the Brain

Video: Performing Craniectomy on a Pig Using a High-Speed Pneumatic Drill to Access the Brain

The use of pigs as an experimental animal model is especially relevant in neuroscience research, as the porcine and human central nervous systems (CNS) share many important functional and architectural properties. Consequently, pigs are expected to have an increasingly important role in future research on various neurological diseases. Here, a method to perform an anterior craniectomy through the porcine frontal bone is described. After a midline incision and subsequent exposure of the porcine frontal bone, anatomical landmarks are used to ensure the optimal location of the craniectomy. By careful and gradual thinning of the frontal bone with a rounded drill, a rectangular opening to the dura mater and underlying cerebral hemispheres is achieved. The presented method requires certain surgical materials, including a pneumatic high-speed drill, and some degree of surgical experience. Potential complications include unintended lesions of the dura mater or dorsal sagittal sinus. However, the method is simple, time-efficient, and offers a high degree of reproducibility for researchers. If performed correctly, the technique exposes a large portion of the unaffected pig brain for various neuromonitoring or analyses.

This protocol describes performing a craniectomy using a high-speed pneumatic drill on a 3-month-old Danish Landrace pig. The access is made through the frontal bone and reveals the ventral dura mater and underlying cerebral hemispheres. This procedure allows for access to a large portion of the pig brain.

The use of pigs as an experimental animal model is especially relevant in neuroscience research, as the porcine and human central nervous systems (CNS) ...