Effectiveness of the biophysical barriers on the peridural fibrosis of a postlaminectomy rat model: an experimental research.

Purpose: Long term results after surgical treatment of disc herniation have shown that epidural and/or peridural fibrosis formed during the healing process after surgical intervention. We conducted this experimental study to evaluation of the effectiveness of the bioresorbable barriers (ADCON-L and Seprafilm(®) Adhesion Barrier) on formation of the peridural fibrosis in rat model performed laminectomy.

Methods: Thirty-two male Wistar albino rats 250-350g body weight were distributed into three groups (CONTROL, AL group received ADCON-L; SAB group received Seprafilm(®) Adhesion Barrier). A dorsal laminectomy at L3, L4, L5 was performed, and then except those of the CONTROL group, the experimental material was left on the dura mater. Six weeks later spinal column of all rats was totally removed between the T10 and L5 levels, and peridural fibrosis, and dural adhesions were evaluated histologically and graded. The results were compared statistically by using the chi-square (χ(2)) test. Also three random regions were examined, and the fibroblast cells were counted. The fibroblast count results were statistically analysed by using the One-Way ANOVA test.

Results: The variation of histopathological grades was statistically significant regarding the comparison of the all groups obtained from the χ(2) test (χ(2)=16.40; p=0.003). However, the variation in the mean values of the fibroblast count result was not statistically significant obtained from the One-Way ANOVA test (F=2.114; p>0.05).

Conclusion: Our study results suggest that Seprafilm(®) Adhesion Barrier and ADCON-L can be effective in reducing the prevalence of the postoperative peridural adhesions in rat laminectomy model. On the other hand, the fibroblast densities of the experimental groups were not different between groups. So, we could say that these materials can act as a foreign body in long term period in rat.