title: Mechanical properties of nerve roots and rami radiculares isolated from fresh pig spinal cords.
abstract: No reports have described experiments designed to determine the strength characteristics of spinal nerve roots and rami radiculares for the purpose of explaining the complexity of symptoms of medullary cone lesions and cauda equina syndrome. In this study, to explain the pathogenesis of cauda equina syndrome, monoaxial tensile tests were performed to determine the strength characteristics of spinal nerve roots and rami radiculares, and analysis was conducted to evaluate the stress-strain relationship and strength characteristics. Using the same tensile test device, the nerve root and ramus radiculares isolated from the spinal cords of pigs were subjected to the tensile test and stress relaxation test at load strain rates of 0.1, 1, 10, and 100 s(-1) under identical settings. The tensile strength of the nerve root was not rate dependent, while the ramus radiculares tensile strength tended to decrease as the strain rate increased. These findings provide important insights into cauda equina symptoms, radiculopathy, and clinical symptoms of the medullary cone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamaguchi, Japan.
authors.forename: Norihiro
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-7754-6579
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nishida
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamaguchi, Japan.
authors.forename: Tsukasa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kanchiku
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Engineering, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan.
authors.forename: Junji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ohgi
authors.affiliation: Non-Profit Organization Corporation, Japan Orthopedic Biomechanics Institute, Yamaguchi, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ichihara
authors.affiliation: Faculties of Engineering, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan.
authors.forename: Xian
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamaguchi, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshihiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Taguchi
keywords: cauda equina syndrome; lumbar spinal canal stenosis; monoaxial tensile tests; nerve regeneration; neural degeneration; paralysis; radiculopathy; spinal cord; strength characteristics; stress-strain relationship