Changes in the central canal area of immature rats following spinal cord injury.

A small, unilateral, penetrating wound was placed in the dorsolateral portion of the lumbosacral spinal cord in immature rats. Although this wound did not extend into the central canal area, some cells forming the walls of this canal underwent proliferative activity as demonstrated by [3H]thymidine autoradiography. The uniform, regular cellular arrangement of these walls was lost and portions of the walls thickened and became multilayered in appearance.