Acupotomy for Cervical Spondylosis in Rats: A Visualized Protocol for Model Establishment and Intervention

Cervical spondylosis (CS) is a chronic degenerative disease. Degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs of the cervical spine, along with subsequent pathological alterations, affect surrounding tissues and structures, leading to clinical manifestations such as neck pain, stiffness, limited mobility, and occasionally numbness and radiating symptoms in the upper limbs. Among these, nerve root compression is the most common. Therefore, this study established a rat model of CS induced by cervical nerve root compression. Acupotomy therapy has shown potential in clinical CS treatment by releasing local soft tissue adhesions and alleviating nerve compression. However, there is currently a lack of visualized procedural protocols in animal experiments. This study provides a detailed description of a reliable method for establishing a rat model of CS and the corresponding acupotomy intervention protocol. In this procedure, we elaborate on the model induction process, the steps of acupotomy manipulation, therapeutic localization, rat restraint techniques, and critical precautions. Additionally, this study used electromyography (EMG) to confirm the successful establishment of the CS model and evaluated the intervention through mechanical withdrawal thresholds, gait analysis, and nerve root histopathology. This research not only provides a reference for the establishment of the CS rat model and acupotomy intervention but also offers a systematic and feasible experimental framework for future studies investigating the mechanisms of action.