Rabbit Spinal Cord Ischemia Model for the Development of Neuroprotective Treatments

Ischemic spinal cord injury (SCI) is one of the most morbid complications of aortic operations and traumatic injury. Numerous animal models have been created to try to understand the pathogenesis of spinal cord injury and to find treatment options. In this chapter, different animal spinal cord injury models are discussed. An overview of potential spinal cord injury therapeutic agents that are studied in the literature is presented as well. Finally, a new minimally invasive rabbit spinal cord ischemia model that uses a transfemoral intra-aortic balloon occlusion and neuromonitoring with motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) is presented. This rabbit model has the potential to aid in novel therapeutic drug development for early ischemic SCI.