Use of an epidural cooling catheter with a closed countercurrent lumen to protect against ischemic spinal cord injury in pigs

Use of an epidural cooling catheter with a closed countercurrent lumen to protect against ischemic spinal cord injury in pigs
A Yoshitake, A Mori, H Shimizu, T Ueda, N Kabei, T Hachiya, H Okano, R Yozu
The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, 2007

Fourteen pigs underwent thoracic aortic double clamping for 45 minutes under systemic mild hypothermia. Group A underwent local hypothermia with the cooling catheter. Group B underwent catheter placement only, without cooling. Spinal cord somatosensory evoked potentials were recorded to assess electrophysiologic status. Neurologic function was evaluated with a modified Tarlov score. Mean time from aortic crossclamping to onset of potential loss was significantly longer in group A, as well as the mean duration of total loss of potentials being significantly shorter.  total number of intact motor neurons, and neurological function was significantly better in group A compared to group B.