Functional Reinnervation of the Canine Bladder after Spinal Root Transection and Immediate End-on-End Repair

This study explores whether damaged nerves in the spine can be fixed to restore bladder function. Researchers cut and immediately repaired spinal roots in dogs, testing if the bladder could be reconnected. A special substance, BDNF, was used to help the nerves heal. They checked if the bladder worked better with the repaired nerves by using electrical signals. The study found that the repaired nerves could indeed reconnect the bladder, showing it's possible to fix nerve damage and bring back bladder control after spinal injuries.

• 1
  Transected ventral and dorsal roots in the sacral spine can be repaired and are capable of functionally reinnervating the urinary bladder.
• 2
  Five of eight nerve transected and repaired animals showed increased pressure and bladder emptying during electrical stimulation of the repaired ventral roots.
• 3
  Nerve tracing studies determined the repaired roots to be S1 and S2 and showed regrowth of axons from the spinal cord to nerve sites proximal to the repair site and to the bladder.