A Comparison of Surgical Invasions for Spinal Nerve Ligation with or without Paraspinal Muscle Removal in a Rat Neuropathic Pain Model

Figure 5

Histological changes in the L5 paraspinal muscle at 2 weeks after L5 SNL and sham surgery. In the rats that underwent L5 SNL (a) or sham (b) surgery with paraspinal muscle removal, the L5 paraspinal muscle was replaced by fibrous connective tissue (arrows). The paraspinal muscle maintained normal morphological features in rats that underwent L5 SNL (c) or sham (d) surgery with paraspinal muscle retraction.