The pig model of chronic paraplegia: a challenge for experimental studies in spinal cord injury

The regenerative medicine techniques that are beginning to be applied to the nervous system have led to increased hope in the treatment of diseases that have been considered incurable and that require experimental models on which to test new therapeutic strategies. We present our experience with adult pigs (minipigs) that have undergone a traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) experimental model, and that have been followed for 1 year. We describe the surgical aspects of our SCI model by acute compression and also describe protocols for daily care and rehabilitation that are necessary to maintain the paraplegic pigs in good health during the months following the injury. Furthermore, we provide in detail the main complications that arise with this experimental model and the treatments used to address these complications. Suitable housing conditions, daily rehabilitation and prevention of complications (i.e., taking the same care applied to patients following SCI) are essential for achieving the absence of mortality and long-term maintenance of the animals. We consider the model that is described here to be feasible and useful for preliminary testing of novel therapeutic strategies aimed at regeneration of the injured spinal cord in paraplegic patients.