title: Spinal cord and nerve root blood flow in acute double level spinal stenosis.
abstract: METHODS
  Twenty-four pigs were randomized into three groups of eight pigs; a control group with 0% stenosis, a 25% stenosis group, and a 50% stenosis group. A fourth 75% stenosis group was added when results of the randomized experiment had been analyzed. Blood flow of the spinal cord and nerve roots and spinal evoked potentials were determined before and 1 hour after induction of the spinal stenoses.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study the acute effects of different degrees of spinal stenosis on neural tissue blood flow and spinal evoked potentials.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Spinal cord dysfunction may be caused by vascular impairment or mechanical injury to neural tissue. Experimental double level compression of the cauda equina causes reversible nerve root edema, stasis, blood flow decrease, and compromised neural function. The vascular pathophysiology after spinal cord trauma was studied previously, and both increased and decreased neural tissue blood flow have been reported.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two level spinal stenosis was introduced by placement of stenosing bands around the dural sac at L4 and L6. Neurologic function was monitored by sensory and motor evoked potentials. Regional blood flow (RBF) was measured in the stenotic segments between the bands and other regions of neural tissue by radioactive microspheres before and after induction of stenosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Regional blood flow increased in the stenotic segments after 0% sham stenosis. Analysis of variance revealed no differences in RBF between the three randomized groups under comparable conditions of 0% stenosis. However, the RBF level of the added 75% group was lower than that of the other three groups. By comparison of RBF within groups before and after stenosis, no decrease in RBF was found between the stenosing bands in any of the groups. Fifty percent stenosis changed the amplitude of evoked potentials in half of the animals. Seventy-five percent stenosis caused severe changes in evoked potentials in 7 of 8 animals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Blood supply of the spinal cord and nerve roots in the segments between two central stenoses is preserved immediately after stenosis introduction by way of the segmental nerve pathway, even if nerve conduction is impaired.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Experimental Clinical Research, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Jespersen
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Svenstrup
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Lindblad
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bünger
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D001784:Blood Gas Analysis; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D011897:Random Allocation; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000098:blood supply*; D013126:Spinal Nerve Roots / Q000098:blood supply*; D013130:Spinal Stenosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins