Differential motor and electrophysiological outcome in rats with mid-thoracic or high lumbar incomplete spinal cord injuries

We have investigated the motor changes in rats subjected to a moderate photochemical injury on mid-thoracic (T8) or high lumbar (L2) spinal cord segments. Fourteen days after surgery, L2 injured animals presented gross locomotor deficits (scored 10+/-2.8 in the BBB scale), decreased amplitude of motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) recorded on tibialis anterior (TA) and plantar (PL) muscles (24% and 6% of the preoperative mean values, respectively), reduced M wave amplitudes (75%, 62%), and also facilitated monosynaptic reflexes evidenced by an increase of the H/M amplitude ratio (158% and 563%). On the other hand, T8 injured animals had only slight deficits in locomotion (18+/-0.6 in the BBB scale), a minimal reduction in MEP amplitudes (78% and 71% in TA and PL muscles), normal M wave amplitudes, and a milder increase of the H/M ratio in the TA muscle (191%) but less pronounced in the PL muscle (172%). The percentage of spared tissue at the site of injury was similar in both experimental groups (L2: 79% and T8: 82%). Taken together, these results indicate that lumbar spinal injuries have more severe consequences on hindlimb motor output than injuries exerted on thoracic segments. The causes of this anatomical difference may be attributed to damage inflicted on the central pattern generator of locomotion resulting in dysfunction of lumbar motoneurons and altered spinal reflexes modulation.