title: Lumbar sympathectomy increases blood flow in a dog model of chronic cauda equina compression.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was designed to assess changes in blood flow of the dog cauda equina after lumbar sympathectomy using an experimental chronic cauda compression model.
  
  
  METHODS
  The cauda equina was compressed at 10 mm Hg with a plastic balloon in all animals (n = 12). One week later, bilateral lumbar sympathectomy was carried out in the LSX group (n = 7), and vessels of the cauda equina were thereafter observed for 90 minutes using a specially designed microscope supplied with a video camera. Five animals did not undergo sympathectomy and were used as controls. The volume of blood flow was calculated from two parameters: velocity (mm/s) and diameter (microm) of a vessel observed in each animal.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The increment in vessel diameter in the LSX group was pronounced at 30 and 45 minutes after sympathectomy compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Blood flow in the LSX group was increased at 30 minutes depending on dilation of the vessel diameter compared with the control group (P < 0.05). The velocity in the observed vessels remained unchanged throughout the measurements.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest that lumbar sympathectomy could induce an increase in blood flow of the compressed cauda equina. As lumbar sympathetic block increases blood flow not only in the lower limbs but also in the cauda equina, it might be evaluated for a conservative treatment of intermittent claudication due to lumbar spinal canal stenosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, 1-Hikarigaoka, Fukushima City, Fukushima, Japan. aonda@fmu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Onda
authors.forename: Shoji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yabuki
authors.forename: Masumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iwabuchi
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Anzai
authors.forename: Kjell
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Olmarker
authors.forename: Shinichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002420:Cauda Equina / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000601:surgery*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004285:Dogs; D008160:Lumbosacral Plexus / Q000601:surgery*; D012016:Reference Values; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000601:surgery*; D013562:Sympathectomy