Modified stereotactic neurosurgery techniques for rodent surgery enhance survival and reduce surgery time in a severe traumatic brain injury model

Abstract

Controlled cortical impact (CCI) is the most widely used mechanical model of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in rodent brains. This neurosurgical procedure generally involves the use of a stereotaxic system, which requires reaching a specific brain region with the most accurate position possible. In this study, a modified stereotaxic system for TBI induction was developed to evaluate preclinical research in rodents for conducting neural stimulation experiments by using an implanted electrode to assist in rehabilitation after severe TBI. The proposed model aims to reduce animal mortality during surgery and alleviate the negative side effects potentially caused by prolonged anesthesia drug usage. Isoflurane is applied as an anesthetic drug before stereotaxic surgery in rodents, which promotes hypothermia in the animal body. The result showed notable improvement in rodent survival after applying an active warming pad system to prevent hypothermia. Compared with the conventional stereotaxic system, the modified CCI device with a mounted 3D-printed header significantly improved performance in the surgical procedure, decreasing the total operation time by 21.7%, especially in the Bregma‒Lambda measurement. These findings indicate the tangible capability of our modified stereotaxic system, which allows surgeons to perform stereotaxic surgery faster and lowers the risk of intraoperative mortality.