We have developed a balloon device that creates reproducible graded compres
sion of the rat spinal cord. It uses a modified Camino intracranial pressur
e monitor bolt with a small latex balloon attached to the tip. The device i
s affixed to the spinous processes of two cervicothoracic vertebrae and pos
itioned directly over an exposed segment of spinal cord. Ten compression ba
lloons were tested and revealed reproducible pressure transmission at expan
sion volumes from 0.12 to 0.34 cc. Reversible graded spinal cord compressio
n was verified by monitoring cortical somatosensory and motor evoked potent
ials before, during, and after cord compression. The pathophysiologic chang
es occurring with graded compression and the effect of therapeutic interven
tions can be studied in a rat model.