Contrast injection via the central artery of the left ear in rabbits: a new technique to simplify follow-up studies.

Our goal was to establish a contrast injection technique that uses the unique vascular anatomy of the rabbit ear to spare the valuable femoral artery access sites. The central artery of the left ear was cannulated. Contrast injected in a retrograde fashion opacified the right brachiocephalic artery and its branches. The technique can be used in rabbits with the usual bovine-type left common carotid artery origin.