A goat model for research of anterior cervical-adjustable fusion fixator / 第二军医大学学报

ABSTRACT

Objective: To establish an animal model for anterior cervical-adjustable fusion fixator (AC-AFF), and to compare the operation time, blood loss, and recovery time of food intake and movement between AC-AFF group and other groups with different cervical reconstruction fixators. Methods: Eighteen goats were evenly randomized into 3 groups AC-AFF, steel plate+ titanium mesh, and steel plate+autogenous iliac bone group. The 3 fixtors were implanted after corpectomy. The operation time, blood loss during operation, and recovery time of food intake and movement were recorded in each animal and were compared. Results: All experiment animals survived after operation; one animal of steel plate+titanium mesh group suffered from incision infection and recovered 5 days after intramuscular penicillin therapy. Two animals in steel plate+autogenous iliac bone group could not stand on forehoof, but food intake was not influenced; the animals could stand 1 week later without treatment and walked with difficulty, and they recovered normal walk 2 weeks later. Four animals received C3 corpectomy (2 received AC-AFF and 2 received steel plate+titanium mesh) and the rest received C4 corpectomy. It was found that AC-AFF group had the shortest operation time (P<0.01), and there was no difference between the other 2 groups. The intra-operation blood loss in the steel plate+autogenous iliac bone group was significantly higher than that in the other 2 groups (P<0.01), with no significant difference found between the latter 2 groups. Conclusion: AC-AFF is easier to manage than the other 2 fixators; besides, AC-AFF has less blood loss, short operation time, less post-operation complication, and early recovery of food intake and movement.