Origin of lumbar sacral plexus of rock cavy (Kerondo rupestris)

Abstract

Rock cavy (Kerondon rupestris) is a rodent of the Brazilian wild fauna, belonging to the cavied family, and to the caviinae under family. In Brazil, this animal is already been raised in captivity with the aim of food supply, to preserve the species and to offer subsidy to the research development concerning to the deeper knowledge of these species. To know the origin and the nerves of the rock cavy (Keredon rupestris) lumbar sacral plexus, supplying indispensable subsidies for the study of the comparative anatomy, especially of the wild mammals, we intended to accomplish this research. Ten adult animals of different ages from the Wild Animals Multiplication Center (CEMAS) of the Superior School of Agriculture of Mossoró (ESAM) were used. The segments were fastened in 10% aqueous solution of formal for 48 hours, followed by dissection in order to expose the nerves by the retreat of the muscles, psoas major and psoas minor, and the results were registered by schematic drawings and photographed images. Differences were observed in the number of lumbar and sacral vertebrae of these animals. The lumbar sacral Plexus presented their ventral roots starting from the last three lumbar nerves and from the first three sacral nerves, corresponding to 80% of the studied animals. The type II (L5,L6,L7,S1, S2 e S3) was the most commonly found (50%) of the between samples. Considered nerves, originated in the plexus, were: femoral, obturatory, ischiatic, cranial gluteus, caudal gluteus and pudendus.