Long-Term Pathology of Ovine Lumbar Spine Degeneration Following Injury Via Percutaneous Minimally Invasive Partial Nucleotomy.

The focus of this work is to assess the long-term progression of degeneration in the ovine lumbar spine following a minimally invasive model injury comparable to the damage of an intervertebral disc (IVD) herniation. A partial nucleotomy was performed on 18 sheep via the percutaneous dorsolateral approach. The animals were culled at 6 and 12 months to evaluate the damaged and neighboring functional spine units (FSUs) for degenerative characteristics via µ-CT and histology. Both quantitative µ-CT and histology investigations demonstrated statistically significant differences between the native and damaged FSUs investigated. Qualitative analysis of µ-CT revealed numerous pathological markers consistent with intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD), with differences in frequency and severity between the native and damaged FSUs. The annulus fibrosus reforms a pressure seal within 6 weeks, but the extent of the trauma is significant enough to initiate IVD degeneration, which is already clearly visible at 6 months and especially so 12 months post-op. IDD pathology consistent with signs of a herniation was seen in both the 6- and 12-month groups. This technique provides a useful model injury for the preclinical evaluation of IDD in large animal models, especially in regards to simulating disc herniation as well as for testing the efficacy of associated therapies in the future. © 2019 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 37:2376-2388, 2019.

Percutaneous posterolateral approach for the simulation of a far-lateral disc herniation in an ovine model.

PURPOSE: This work describes a minimally invasive damage model for ovine lumbar discs via partial nucleotomy using a posterolateral approach. METHODS: Two cadavers were dissected to analyze the percutaneous corridor. Subsequently, 28 ovine had their annulus fibrosus punctured via awl penetration under fluoroscopic control and nucleus pulposus tissue removed via rongeur. Efficacy was assessed by animal morbidity, ease of access to T12-S1 disc spaces, and production of a mechanical injury as verified by discography, radiography, and histology. RESULTS: T12-S1 were accessible with minimal nerve damage morbidity. Scar tissue sealed the disc puncture site in all animals within 6 weeks, withstanding 1 MP of intradiscal pressure. Partial nucleotomy led to a significant reduction in intervertebral disk height and an increased histological degeneration score. CONCLUSION: Inducing a reproducible injury pattern of disc degeneration required minimal time, effort, and equipment. The posterolateral approach allows operation on several discs within a single surgery and multiple animal surgeries within a single day.

Micro-CT evaluation of asymmetrical ovine intervertebral disc height loss from surgical approach.

PURPOSE: The primary goal of this study is to clearly define and evaluate new intervertebral disc height parameters in analysing the morphological pathology of disc degeneration for application in damage model and regeneration therapy development, as well as applying traditional variables to 3-D characterization methods. METHODS: A posterolateral surgical approach was used to induce disc degeneration in an ovine model. At 12-months post-operation, sheep vertebral segments were removed and characterized using micro-CT to evaluate disc height parameters in regard to injury localization. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences between the disc height loss of the left and right side of the disc, consistent with the lateral surgical approach used were seen using the modified average disc height method by Dabbs et al. However, convexity index and the newly proposed Cross Tilt Index did not conclusively demonstrate a difference. CONCLUSION: Two-dimensional morphological evaluations can be applied in 3-D to provide a more complete picture of disc height loss for injury models. New 3-D parameters that are tailored to the type of surgical approach used should be investigated, with the 9-point system described herein providing a useful basis for derived values. Additionally, the surgical approach chosen when artificially injuring the disc can result in asymmetrical degeneration, as indicated by uneven disc height loss.