What ' s known on the subject? and What does the study add? For more than 150 years animal models have been used in the study of various aspects of urinary diversion using bowel segments.For the fi rst time this review provides a comprehensive analysis and synopsis of all animal models used in urinary diversion as a structured database for further research.• We set out to critically assess the value of animal experimentation in urinary diversion through intestinal segments, as some authors question the effectiveness of animal research, criticising the methodological quality, lack of standardization, inadequate reporting and the few systematic reviews in this fi eld.• Based on a comprehensive MEDLINE literature search (MeSH database; search terms: urinary diversion, urinary reservoirs, continent, rat, dog, animal models) we retrieved and evaluated all full-length papers published in English, German, French, and Spanish languages from 1966 to 2011 reporting the use of animal models in the setting of urinary diversion.• Studies were stratifi ed according to the addressed research question. Within each category species, gender, number of animals, age at procedure, type of diversion, mortality, length of follow-up, experimental procedure and outcome were recorded and tabulated.• In all, 159 articles were judged to be relevant and while there are numerous animal models only a few have been used in more than one study.• Animals were used for the systematic study of new surgical techniques (93 articles) or metabolic and functional consequences of urinary reconstruction (66 articles). For the latter purpose, the most often used animal is the rat, whereas the dog model is preferred for technical experimentation.• In many studies, the validity of the model is at least questionable. Animal experiments have repeatedly been conducted addressing the same question, often with striking discrepancies in outcome. Animal studies were even performed after a surgical technique had been pioneered in humans.• The use of animal models in urinary diversion is far from standardized rendering the results less than ideal for comparison across studies.• Due to differences in anatomy and physiology, the applicability of fi ndings in animal experiments to clinical urology is limited. Continued effort is needed to optimise the use of animal models in experimental urology.
