Objectives: To investigate the significance of c-fos oncogene morphogenetic protein's locational expression, and the correlativity between nerve transmitters calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) expression and nerve root's functional change using the animal model of the chronic compressive injury in the nerve root.
Methods: The animal model of chronic compressive injury of the nerve root was established by transplanting autogenous cancellous bone into the intervertebral foramen. During different injury phase (1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24 weeks after operation), the functional status of the nerve root was determined under the monitoring of evoked potential, and the expression changes of c-fos oncogene morphogenetic protein and nerve transmitter CGRP were detected using in situ hybridization technique and their expression intensity was determined using automatic image analytic instrument respectively.