Spinal cord compression is one of the important causes of spinal cord injury, and this injury model mainly simulates spinal cord injury caused by space occupying lesions in the spinal canal, which can be divided into acute compression injury and chronic compression injury. Generally, compression is caused by the implantation of foreign objects, such as inflated balloons, stainless steel screws, tumor cells, silicone pads, etc. The pathophysiological process of acute compression is similar to the spinal cord impingement model; Chronic spinal cord compression is a non instantaneous injury that facilitates the detection of neurological and metabolic changes. According to different compression methods and durations, spinal cord compression can be divided into many types, such as ventral and dorsal compression injury models, static compression, and dynamic compression. The force of compression can be generated through airbags, fluid sacs, arterial clamps, heavy object compression, forceps compression, and material filling. The degree of compression injury mainly depends on the magnitude of pressure and the duration of compression. The compression of the spinal cord causes blood supply disorders, and the primary mechanical action leads to degeneration and necrosis of the spinal cord tissue. The balloon compression method established by Tadov et al. involves placing an expandable balloon between the vertebrae and the dura mater. After the animal fully recovers, the balloon is inflated at different rates to inflate it. It can cause damage to any part of the spinal cord, and the amount of gas injection and compression time can be freely selected. This method is simple to operate, has good repeatability, and has many similarities with spinal cord compression caused by intraspinal space occupying lesions and vascular diseases in clinical practice. It is commonly used for comparative research on the mechanism of spinal cord injury caused by impact and compression.
After Tadov, Seijun et al. used a balloon catheter to implant into the L1 level epidural space through the intervertebral foramen, and then injected physiological saline. Depending on the amount of saline injected, mild, moderate, and severe spinal cord injuries can be caused. Tian Wei and others implanted silicone sheets with metal wires into the spinal canal through the ligamentum flavum, causing spinal cord compression. This method does not require opening the vertebral plate, which can reduce surgical trauma and simplify the operation. Not only can it accurately locate, but it also has good surgical repeatability, low mortality rate, and a relatively uniform model. The characteristic of these methods is that the implantation of foreign bodies first causes acute compression, followed by sustained chronic compression, which is similar to the pathological process of spinal cord compression caused by acute intervertebral disc herniation and prolapse in clinical practice.
Stainless steel screws compress the spinal cord causing injury. In 1990, Hashimoto applied them to the T11 level spinal cord of rats, providing a practical and simple model for progressive spinal cord injury caused by spinal cord compression. Kong Kangmei and others from Henan Medical University improved this model by installing a stainless steel screw compression device fixed with organic glass plates in the posterior approach, resulting in a progressive spinal cord compression model. Although this model can simulate the natural process of chronic compression well, it increases the number of surgeries and trauma.