Anatomic study of arterial supply to the spinal cord in New Zealand White rabbits

Objective To describe the arterial origination and arrangement of the spinal cord in New Zealand White rabbits. Methods Ten adult New Zealand rabbits were studied by anatomy. After the rabbits being killed, the vascular networks were perfused with saline, injected with red latex through aorta ascendens, and fixed with 10% formaldehyde. Then the spinal cord arteries were showed by removing vertebral arches in the cervical, thoracic, lumbar and sacral spinal regions. Results The cervical spinal cord regions of New Zealand rabbits were supplied by vertebral arteries and posterior inferior cerebellar artery; the thoracic spinal cord region were supplied by the supreme intercostal arteries, intercostal arteries, and subcostal arteries; the lumbar spinal cord region were supplied by lumbar arteries and middle sacral artery; the sacral and coccygeal spinal cord regions were supplied by internal iliac arteries and middle sacral artery. Based on the asymmetry of rediculomedullary arteries, cervical and lumbar anterior rediculomedullary arteries were predominant on the right, but Adamkiewicz artery often originated from the left lumbar artery, and thoracic anterior rediculomedullary arteries on the left. The posterior radiculomedullary arteries had symmetrical distribution between the left and right sides, and more frequently existed in cervical or lumbar region than in thoracic region. Conclusion The arterial origination and arrangement of the spinal cords in New Zealand White rabbits are different than those in humans; the variations of arteries should be taken into account if the rabbits are used to establish spinal cord injury models. Key words: Rabbits; Spinal cord; Artery; Dissection