Reimplantation of avulsed lumbosacral ventral roots in the rat ameliorates injury-induced degeneration of primary afferent axon collaterals in the spinal dorsal columns

Injuries to the cauda equina/conus medullaris portion of the spinal cord can result in motor, sensory, and autonomic dysfunction, and neuropathic pain. In rats, unilateral avulsion of the motor efferents from the lumbosacral spinal cord results in at-level allodynia, along with a corresponding glial and inflammatory response in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord segments immediately rostral to the lesion. Reimplantation of the avulsed roots ameliorated axon and myelin degeneration.

• 1
  Ventral root avulsion (VRA) induces degeneration of primary afferent collaterals in the dorsal funiculus in the absence of a direct injury to sensory axons.
• 2
  VRA-induced axon loss was restricted to the ascending white matter tract region of the DF.
• 3
  Acute reimplantation of avulsed ventral roots protects intramedullary projections of primary afferents against degenerative processes.