Table 2

Behavioral metrics with potential to associate with lumbar radiculopathy in the rat

Affected limb vs. Contralateral limb (NP alone group)

NP alone vs. Pre-operative data (one week post-op)

NP alone vs. Sham controls (one week post-op)

NP alone vs. NP + sTNFRII (one week post-op)

% Stance time imbalance

Unbalanced

3.9%

4.7%

3.8%

(High-speed videography, 200 fps)

(P = 0.032)

(P = 0.025)

(P = 0.013)

(P = 0.012)

Gait symmetry

Asymmetric

5.3%

3.6%

2.9%

(High-speed videography, 200 fps)

(P = 0.031)

(P = 0.008)

(P = 0.055)

(P = 0.062)

Affected limb vertical impulse

162.9 mN-sec

91.2 mN-sec

137.8 mN-sec

137.8 mN-sec

(Force plate, 200 Hz)

(P = 0.009)

(P = 0.069)

(P = 0.029)

(P = 0.029)

Weight bearing

Unbalanced

7.6%

5.4%

5.4%

(Incapacitance meter)

(P = 0.048)

(P = 0.022)

(P = 0.052)

(P = 0.052)

Affected limb mechanical sensitivity

5.3 gF

11.2 gF

4.0 gF

4.0 gF

(von Frey test)

(P = 0.148)

(P = 0.001)

(P = 0.129)

(P = 0.129)

From our analysis, the measures of animal behavior in this table tended to yield the highest significance level at one week after lumbar radiculopathy in the rat. Data are presented as the mean difference between groups (top) with the associated P-value (below). In general, these metrics tend to describe differences between the affected and contralateral sides of the animal (column 1), show changes relative to preoperative and sham controls (column 2 to 3), and tend to improve with the application of sTNFRII at the time of surgery (column 4).

Allen et al. Arthritis Research & Therapy 2011 13:R137   doi:10.1186/ar3451