Spinal duraplasty with two novel substitutes restored locomotor function after acute laceration spinal cord injury in rats.

A dural tear is a common complication after acute laceration spinal cord injury (ALSCI). An unrepaired dural tear is associated with poor locomotor functional recovery. Spinal duraplasty with biomaterials may promote functional recovery in ALSCI. However, an ideal dural substitute has not yet been found. In this work, we investigated the possibility of using a denuded human amniotic membrane (DHAM) or DHAM seeded on bone marrow stromal cells (DHAM-BMSCs) as duraplasty biomaterials. We patched broken dura with the two novel substitutes in an ALSCI rat model. At the end of the eighth week, we observed that the neural motor function was recovered according to the Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan scale, and the neural loop was successfully reestablished between the ends of the lesions by motor-evoked potentials in the duraplasty groups. Moreover, the DHAM-BMSCs repaired the dura and resulted in a significant reduction in the total lesion and cystic volumes by nearly 10-fold versus the control group (p < 0.01). The levels of neurotrophic factors and NF-200-positive fibers were also improved in the duraplasty groups, compared to the control group. Our data suggest that the two novel substitutes may be promising grafts for patching dural defects to improve locomotor function after ALSCI.