Induction of Lumbar Disc Degeneration in Rabbits Through a Transabdominal Approach

Summary

Here, we describe a surgical protocol using needle puncture to establish rabbit lumbar disc degeneration via a transabdominal approach. Radiological checks and histological analyses were used to confirm the successful establishment of lumbar disc degeneration.

Abstract

Lower back pain is an extremely common medical issue in populations worldwide. One of the main contributors to lower back pain is intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration. An ideal animal model of IVD degeneration is essential to study the pathophysiology of lower back pain and investigate potential therapeutic strategies. Rabbit models are reliable, economical, and easily established animal models. The retroperitoneal approach has been widely used to induce IVD degeneration in rabbit models. However, there are reported complications associated with this technique, such as the avulsion of segmental arteries and nerve root injury. In this paper, we aim to show a surgical protocol using needle puncture to establish rabbit lumbar disc degeneration via a transabdominal approach. Consequently, radiological checks and histological analyses indicated that lumbar disc degeneration was successfully established in rabbits. This surgical protocol presents the precise location of target discs and high reproducibility of IVD degeneration models with fewer complications.

Introduction

Lower back pain (LBP) is the leading cause of disability worldwide¹. Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration (IVDD) is one of the main causes of LBP^2,3,4. IVDD is a complex and incompletely understood multifactorial process that can be accelerated by different environmental and biological factors^5,6,7. The pathological changes of IVDD are characterized by a disorganized IVD structure, reduced water content in the nucleus pulposus, and degradation of the surroun....

Protocol

The experimental protocol was approved by the Animal Care and Use Committee of Xingtai General Hospital of North China Medical Health Group (Approval number: ZCKT-2021-0009). This study used healthy skeletally mature New Zealand white rabbits (female, 1 year, 3-5 kg).

1. Pre-operative preparation

1. Fast the rabbits and deprive them of water for 6-8 h before general anesthesia.
2. Weigh the rabbit.
3. Swab the ear with 70% ethanol using a gauze sponge.

Discussion

The critical steps in this protocol are the protection of the abdominal organs, the identification of the target discs, and the position and direction of the needle. The L5-6 IVD is just below the bifurcation of the iliac vein, and the L6-7 IVD is identified based on the position parallel to the iliac crest. These two markers enable precise positioning of the intervertebral disc and improve the accuracy and repeatability of surgery - which is one of the major advantages of the transabdominal approach. When the needle pun.......

Materials

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
#22 scalpel blade	Huaiyin MEDICAL Instruments Co., Ltd.	AA6468	None
16-G needle, 26-G needle	Zhejiang Kangkang MEDICAL-DEVICES Co., Ltd.	305111	None
3-0 absorbable suture	Huaiyin MEDICAL Instruments Co., Ltd.	V500431	None
4-0 non-absorbable braided suture	Huaiyin MEDICAL Instruments Co., Ltd.	R413	None
5 mL syringe, 1 mL syringe	Zhejiang Kangkang MEDICAL-DEVICES Co., Ltd.	301942	None
Double-ended handheld retractor	Huaiyin MEDICAL Instruments Co., Ltd.	60002066	None
Midazolam	Yichang Humanwell Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.	M-908CAS	None
Needle holder	Huaiyin MEDICAL Instruments Co., Ltd.	HC00505336	None
Peanut gauze	In-house	None	Hand-made ball-shaped gauze
Rabbit	Tonghui ulture Limited Liability Company	SCXK2016--002	None
Scalpel handle	Huaiyin MEDICAL Instruments Co., Ltd.	AM5100678	None
Stopper	In-house	None	Depth of 5 mm
Tissue scissors	Huaiyin MEDICAL Instruments Co., Ltd.	HC00505422	None
Vaporizer	Apollo Management L.P.	BW-AM503	None
Vessel clamp/forceps	Huaiyin MEDICAL Instruments Co., Ltd.	AM5102194	None