• Hong-Ming Xu, Yong-Li Wang, Hai-Ming Jin, Dao-Liang Xu, Jun Xuan, Jiao-Xiang Chen, Amit Goswami, Zhou-Shan Tao, Feng Zhou, Xiao-Lei Zhang, and Xiang-Yang Wang.
• Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Affiliated Cixi Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Cixi, 315300, Ningbo, People's Republic of China.
• Eur Spine J. 2017 Jan 1; 26 (1): 221-227.

PurposeThe aim of this study was to develop a novel method for observing the morphology of the blood vessels in the rabbit endplate.MethodsTwenty 6-month-old rabbits were used in this study. The blood vessels in the L5 endplate in Group A were injected with iohexol and Group B with barium sulfate. Group C was the control group with saline. To optimize the study, Group B was divided into two subgroups: Group B-1 was injected with 100% (w/v) barium sulfate and Group B-2 with 50% (w/v). After injection, the L4-L5 vertebral body was excised and the cranial endplate of L5 was scanned using a micro-CT scanner. Models of the vertebral endplate and vessels were reconstructed using the 3D reconstruction software (Mimics 16.0) by calculating a bone threshold value, and then merged these two models to create a superimposed model.ResultsThe 3D vessel models could not be created in Groups A and C, but they were clearly visualized in Group B. In the 3D model, the blood vessels extended from the subchondral bone to the endplate, and the density of the blood vessels in the area of the nucleus pulposus (NP) was higher than in the annulus fibrosus.ConclusionsThe results of this study suggest that the blood vessels in the rabbit endplate can be clearly observed by the method described using barium sulfate [the 50% (w/v) gave better results compared with the 100% (w/v)]. The information from the 3D vessel structure could provide essential data to help us understand the nutrient pathways within the vertebral endplate.

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