Ischemia in primate spinal cord injury

Abstract

✓ Lactate accumulation in spinal cord tissue following trauma was determined to ascertain the role and magnitude of ischemia. High thoracic and low thoracic laminectomies were performed on each of nine rhesus monkeys. The lower exposed cord was traumatized with a calibrated blow of 300 gm cm. The upper exposed cord served as a nontraumatized control. At time intervals of 1.5 min to 48 hrs after trauma, both cord segments were removed and assayed for lactic acid. Lactate in nontraumatized segments averaged 3.64 mM/kg tissue, with a range of 2.20 to 4.95. Lactate in traumatized segments removed in from 1.5 min to 12 hrs from six monkeys averaged 5.50 mM/kg tissue, with a range of 4.32 to 6.46. Lactate in traumatized segments from three monkeys 18 to 40 hrs after trauma averaged 4.07 mM/kg, with a range of 3.20 to 5.18. This finding supports the concept that ischemia plays a role early in the traumatic process in spinal cord injury.