Balloon compression-induced spinal cord injury in canines: a large animal model for spinal cord injury research.

Abstract

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a life-altering condition that severely impacts an individual's functional capabilities and has significant implications for both the individual and society. Large animal models are crucial for understanding the pathology and biomechanics of SCI. Dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) are promising models for SCI research due to their anatomical and histopathological similarities to humans. Balloon compression is an established method for inducing controlled SCI in canines. In this study, we optimized a balloon compression procedure for inducing SCI in dogs, aiming to develop a reliable model for future in vivo studies. Our methodology successfully induced total motoric loss in canines, observed for seven days, a critical period for therapeutic interventions. Histopathological examinations using Luxol fast blue (LFB) staining revealed total demyelination in intralesional samples, confirming the structural damage caused by balloon compression. We concluded that a balloon compression model at the T10-T11 vertebral level, with an inflated balloon volume of 1.0 ml, induced SCI while minimizing the risk of balloon rupture. Longer duration of compression ensures total paralysis in this model, providing a platform for testing therapeutic interventions during the acute phase of SCI. The canine model generated consistent data and facilitated straightforward observational findings.