RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: (1) Intraoperative monitoring of somatosensory evoked potentials is regarded a new measure to avoid iatrogenic spinal cord injury.(2) This study is characterized by that, through the changes of somatosensory evoked potential latency in the rabbit spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury, we can confirm the objective quantitative monitoring efficacy of somatosensory evoked potentials in the assessment of spinal functions. ABSTRACT: It remains unclear whether spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury caused by ischemia and other non-mechanical factors can be monitored by somatosensory evoked potentials. Therefore, we nitored spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury in rabbits using somatosensory evoked potential detection technology. The results showed that the somatosensory evoked potential latency was significantly prolonged and the amplitude significantly reduced until it disappeared during the period of spinal cord ischemia. After reperfusion for 30-180 minutes, the amplitude and latency began to gradually recover; at 360 minutes of reperfusion, the latency showed no significant difference compared with the pre-ischemic value, while the somatosensory evoked potential amplitude increased, and severe hindlimb motor dysfunctions were detected. Experimental findings suggest that changes in somatosensory evoked potential latency can reflect the degree of spinal cord ischemic injury, while the amplitude variations are indicators of the late spinal cord reperfusion injury, which provide evidence for the assessment of limb motor function and avoid iatrogenic spinal cord injury.