title: Change in body surface temperature as an ancillary measurement to motor evoked potentials.
abstract: METHODS
  Experimental study.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study the role of surface temperature as an adjunct to motor evoked potentials (MEPs) in rabbit spinal cord injury (SCI) model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Department of Orthopedics, Korea University Guro Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rabbits (n =18) were divided into Complete (n = 9) and Incomplete (n = 9) SCI groups. Complete SCI was defined as being non-responsive to a wake-up test with loss of MEPs after transection of spinal cord. Incomplete SCI was defined as being responsive to a wake-up test with significant attenuation (⩾ 80%) of MEPs after impaction on spinal cord. Surface temperature of upper and lower extremities, core temperature and MEPs signals were checked before, during and after SCI for 20 min. A wake-up test was conducted and spinal cord was histologicaly evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Experimental conditions between the two groups were statistically similar (P > 0.005 for all values). After SCI, upper extremity temperatures did not change in either group (P > 0.005); however, the surface temperature of the lower extremities in the Complete SCI Group elevated to 1.7 ± 0.5°C in comparison to 0.5 ± 0.1°C in the Incomplete SCI Group (P < 0.001). The scores of wake-up test in the Incomplete SCI Group were significantly different from that of the Complete SCI Group (P < 0.001), while white and gray matter damage was variable on histology.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Monitoring of changes of body surface temperature of the lower extremities can be potentially used to identify the completeness of SCI in a rabbit model.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Scoliosis Research Institute, Korea University Medical College, Guro Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Scoliosis Research Institute, Korea University Medical College, Guro Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Suh
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Hanyang University, Guri Hospital, Guri, Korea.
authors.forename: Y-S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Kyung-hee University Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: J-H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Korea University Medical College, Ansan Hospital, Ansan-si, Korea.
authors.forename: B K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Scoliosis Research Institute, Korea University Medical College, Guro Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Ham
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Scoliosis Research Institute, Korea University Medical College, Guro Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Choi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000502:physiology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004569:Electroencephalography; D019054:Evoked Potentials, Motor / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000503:physiopathology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011817:Rabbits; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology*