Use of a collagen-based sealant to prevent in vivo epidural adhesions in an adult rat laminectomy model.

OBJECT

The authors investigated the effect of a collagen-based sealant, Gel Amidon Oxydé (GAO), in the prevention of epidural scar adhesions in an adult rat model of laminectomy.

METHODS

Seventy-two adult Sprague-Dawley rats underwent an L5-6 laminectomy, after which the dura mater and the left L-4 and L-5 nerve roots were exposed. In the 36 animals that received GAO, the sealant was applied over the dura and around the nerve roots, and it was used to fill the laminectomy cavity before it polymerized. In 36 control animals, the same surgical treatment was performed, but the rats did not receive GAO. During the early postoperative period, a significant decrease in the occurrence of epidural hematoma was found in the GAO-treated rats. In contrast to findings in control rats, a thin white connective tissue layer was found between the dura and surrounding muscles after GAO had degraded and been absorbed. One month posttreatment, no epidural scar adhesion was found between the tissue layer and the dura in the GAO-treated animals. Three months postoperatively, both gross inspection and histological examination further confirmed that formation of epidural adhesions was significantly inhibited in the rats treated with GAO. No special inflammatory reaction was observed, and the healing of skin and muscle lesions was not affected by either treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

The data obtained in this study suggest that the GAO collagen-based sealant may be an effective biomaterial to prevent epidural adhesions in vivo after laminectomy.