The bovine kidney as an experimental model: Simulated partial nephrectomy of the cranial pole and proportional analysis of the arterial segments

Previous studies have shown that the pig kidney is not a good model for some procedures. This study aimed to describe the relationship between the collecting system and the intrarenal arteries, the arterial segments, and to evaluate the bovine kidney as an experimental model for partial nephrectomy of the cranial pole. Polyester resin endocasts of the kidney collecting system together with the intrarenal arteries were prepared. Thirty‐two kidneys were used to evaluate the relationship between the collecting system and the intrarenal arteries, while 25 kidneys were transversally sectioned at different points to simulate partial nephrectomy of the cranial pole. Polyester resin of different colors was injected into each segmental artery of the 24 kidneys to evaluate the arterial segments proportionally. The renal artery was divided into cranial and caudal primary branches in 75% of the cases. The cranioventral branch curved on the cranial pole and ran toward the ventral mid‐zone in 56.3% of the cases, resembling the retropelvic artery of the human kidney. The kidney was divided into two (25%) or three (75%) arterial segments. The caudal arterial segment had the highest proportional volume (62%). The cranioventral branch was damaged in 28.6% of the kidneys sectioned 1 cm inside the hilum. The arterial branching pattern, the arterial segmentation, and the impairment of the arterial supply after the simulated partial nephrectomy of the cranial pole are quite different from those found in humans. Thus, all differences should be taken into account when using the bovine kidney as a model. Resumo Estudos anteriores demonstraram que o rim do porco não é um bom modelo para alguns procedimentos. O objetivo deste estudo foi descrever a relação entre o sistema coletor e as artérias intrarrenais, os segmentos arteriais, e avaliar o rim bovino como modelo experimental para a nefrectomia parcial do polo cranial. Foram confeccionados moldes de resina de poliéster do sistema coletor renal associado às artérias intrarrenais. Para a avaliação da relação entre o sistema coletor e as artérias intrarrenais foram utilizados trinta e dois rins, enquanto outros trinta e cinco rins foram cortados transversalmente em diferentes regiões para simular a nefrectomia parcial do polo cranial. Resina de poliéster de diferentes cores foi injetada em cada segmento arterial de 24 rins para avaliar proporcionalmente os segmentos arteriais. A artéria renal se dividiu em ramos primários cranial e c