The purpose of this study was to evaluate if the polymerization temperature of the dental acrylic leads to neurological signs and histological changes in the rat spinal cord. Forty eight rats were distributed in two groups: GI or bone cement (positive control) and GII or dental acrylic resin. Each group was redistributed in six subgroups according to compound quantity, postoperative period and location of temperature measurement. The bone cement or dental acrylic resin were molded and positioned on the bony lamina and the dorsal spinous processes of vertebrae L1 and L2. The polimerization temperature was measured every 10 seconds. The polymerization maximum temperature and the temperature difference between internal and external spinal canals were superior in subgroups that received 10 grams. There were no neurological deficits in any animal of this study. The histological analysis showed intensity variation of inflammatory reaction in the meninges and spinal cord parenchyma. The results demonstrate that the polymerization temperature of dental acrylic resin in quantity of 1 or 10 grams causes histological changes in the spinal cord parenchyma and meninges, without neurological deficits in rats.
rat; neurology; surgery; inflammation
