Category Archives: Spinal Cord Injury Treatment

Every year, more than 12,000 people in the United States sustain a spinal cord injury. A spinal cord injury / disease (SCI/D) changes a persons life in an instant, and can have life-changing consequences. Veterans who have experienced an SCI can take advantage of ongoing support and helpful resources and benefits through aParalyzed Veterans of America membership. More than 5 million Americans are living with paralysis, one in 4 of them a result of spinal cord injury or disease. The spinal cord is the major channel through which motor and sensory information travels between the brain and body. When injury or disease of the spinal cord occurs, conduction of sensory and motor signals across the site of lesion(s) is impaired, resulting in loss of motor and/or sensory function. To further define, tetraplegia refers to impairment of function in the arms as well as the trunk, legs and pelvic organs. Paraplegia refers to impairment of arm functioning is spared and trunk, legs and pelvic organ involvement is dependent of the level of injury. Injuries are classified as incomplete if partial preservation of sensory and/or motor function is present below the level of injury, to include sensation at the lowest segment of … Continue reading →

San Francisco, CA Asterias Biotherapeutics Inc. has been given approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to begin a clinical trial of its stem cell therapy in patients with spinal cord injury. The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), Californias stem cell agency, is funding the trial. The Phase 1/2a clinical trial is designed to test the safety of this approach and to see if it has any benefit for patients. The trial will use increasing doses of Asterias AST-OPC1 cells. These are a form of cell called oligodendrocyte progenitor, which are capable of becoming several different kinds of cells some of which play a supporting role and help protect nerve cells in the central nervous system, the area damaged in spinal cord injury. The trial is a follow-on to the CIRM-funded clinical trial begun by Geron in 2010 using the same kind of stem cell. Geron halted that clinical trial due to a change in business strategy. At the time five patients had been treated with the AST-OPC1 cells. Since then follow-up studies on the five patients have shown no serious side effects due to the therapy and in four of the five patients, MRI scans have shown … Continue reading →

According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Association, as many as 450,000 people in the U.S. are living with a spinal cord injury (SCI). Other organizations conservatively estimate this figure to be about 250,000. The spinal cord is about 18 inches long, extending from the base of the brain to near the waist. Many of the bundles of nerve fibers that make up the spinal cord itself contain upper motor neurons (UMNs). Spinal nerves that branch off the spinal cord at regular intervals in the neck and back contain lower motor neurons (LMNs). Types and Levels of SCI The severity of an injury depends on the part of the spinal cord that is affected. The higher the SCI on the vertebral column, or the closer it is to the brain, the more effect it has on how the body moves and what one can feel. More movement, feeling and voluntary control are generally present with injuries at lower levels. Tetraplegia (a.k.a. quadriplegia) results from injuries to the spinal cord in the cervical (neck) region, with associated loss of muscle strength in all four extremities. Paraplegia results from injuries to the spinal cord in the thoracic or lumbar areas, resulting in … Continue reading →

CIRM funds many projects seeking to better understand spinal cord injury and to translate those discoveries into new therapies. About 250,000 people in the U.S. live with spinal cord injuries. Half of those are quadriplegic, with the paralysis impacting all four limbs to some extent. For those individuals the lifetime cost of managing their condition is estimated to be between $2 million and $3 million. Spinal cord injury became the first condition targeted in a human clinical trial using cells made from embryonic stem cells. That trial, begun by Geron in 2010 and based on the findings of a team CIRM currently funds, was later cancelled by Geron for financial reasons. By the time of the cancellation five patients around the country had been enrolled in the study, including two at Stanford, who entered the trial during a period when CIRM funded Geron. Those patients continue to be followed to learn as much as possible about this approach. Californias stem cell agency retains many grants for research to move potential spinal cord injury therapies forward (the full list is below). Much of this work focuses on trying to determine which type of nerve cell is the best one to transplant, … Continue reading →

FIND MORE INFO ON SPINAL CORD INJURY Types of Spinal Cord Injury | Complete (Traumatic) |Incomplete (non-traumatic) As many as 400,000 Americans are living with spinal cord injuries. Most spinal cord injuries occur between the ages of 16 and 30, and about 82 percent of those who experience spinal cord injuries are male. Motor vehicle accidents account for approximately 44 percent of all spinal cord injuries. Other common causes include: After the spinal cord has been injured, messages no longer flow through the damaged area, essentially cutting off information between the brain and certain parts of the body. Generally, the functions of the body located above the point of injury will continue to work with no loss of function, while the areas of the body located below the point of injury will be impaired. Impairment can include the following: Doctors and specialists use the level of injury to most accurately predict which parts of the body are most likely to be affected by loss of movement and sensation. Complete injuries will result in total loss of movement and sensation below the point of injury, while incomplete injuries will result in some degree of loss of movement and sensation below the … Continue reading →

Basic Spinal Cord Anatomy To understand this confusion and what you are actually being told when your injury is described as being at a certain level, it is necessary to understand basic spinal anatomy. The spine and the spinal cord are two different structures. The spinal cord is a long series of nerve cells and fibers running from the base of the brain to shortly above the tailbone. It is encased in the bony vertebrae of the spine, which offers it some protection. The spinal cord relays nerve signals from the brain to all parts of the body and from all points of the body back to the brain. Part of the confusion regarding spinal cord injury levels comes from the fact that the spine and the spinal cord each are divided into named segments which do not always correspond to each other. The spine itself is divided into vertebral segments corresponding to each of the vertebrae. The spinal cord is divided into neurological segmental levels, meaning that the focus is on what part of the body the nerves from each section control. The spine is divided into seven neck (cervical) vertebrae, twelve chest (thoracic) vertebra, five back (lumbar) vertebrae, … Continue reading →

Basic Spinal Cord Anatomy To understand this confusion and what you are actually being told when your injury is described as being at a certain level, it is necessary to understand basic spinal anatomy. The spine and the spinal cord are two different structures. The spinal cord is a long series of nerve cells and fibers running from the base of the brain to shortly above the tailbone. It is encased in the bony vertebrae of the spine, which offers it some protection. The spinal cord relays nerve signals from the brain to all parts of the body and from all points of the body back to the brain. Part of the confusion regarding spinal cord injury levels comes from the fact that the spine and the spinal cord each are divided into named segments which do not always correspond to each other. The spine itself is divided into vertebral segments corresponding to each of the vertebrae. The spinal cord is divided into neurological segmental levels, meaning that the focus is on what part of the body the nerves from each section control. The spine is divided into seven neck (cervical) vertebrae, twelve chest (thoracic) vertebra, five back (lumbar) vertebrae, … Continue reading →

Basic Spinal Cord Anatomy To understand this confusion and what you are actually being told when your injury is described as being at a certain level, it is necessary to understand basic spinal anatomy. The spine and the spinal cord are two different structures. The spinal cord is a long series of nerve cells and fibers running from the base of the brain to shortly above the tailbone. It is encased in the bony vertebrae of the spine, which offers it some protection. The spinal cord relays nerve signals from the brain to all parts of the body and from all points of the body back to the brain. Part of the confusion regarding spinal cord injury levels comes from the fact that the spine and the spinal cord each are divided into named segments which do not always correspond to each other. The spine itself is divided into vertebral segments corresponding to each of the vertebrae. The spinal cord is divided into neurological segmental levels, meaning that the focus is on what part of the body the nerves from each section control. The spine is divided into seven neck (cervical) vertebrae, twelve chest (thoracic) vertebra, five back (lumbar) vertebrae, … Continue reading →

Patient Education Committee Patient Education Committee Spinal fractures occur when an injury is sustained to the spine resulting in a break or disruption of the spinal vertebrae or the attached ligaments. The spinal column contains and protects the spinal cord and exiting nerve roots. Some injuries affect only the spinal column without disturbing the nerve elements while other, more severe injuries to the spine can result in temporary or permanent damage to the spinal cord and/or exiting nerve roots. The diagnosis of such injuries relies upon radiological studies including x-rays, CAT scans and sometime magnetic resonance imaging studies (MRI) to visualize the damage. Treatment of such fractures may require a brace or surgery or both depending on the degree of instability. Spinal cord injuries (SCI) remains a devastating condition for both patients and their families. There are approximately 10,000 new injuries in the United States each year with more than 200,000 people suffering from either paralysis of the arms or legs or both secondary to spinal cord injury. Males account for roughly 75% of patients treated with spinal cord injuries. Improvement in the quality of care over the last few decades has dramatically improved the outlook and survival for patients … Continue reading →

Diagnosis In the emergency room, a doctor may be able to rule out a spinal cord injury by careful inspection, testing for sensory function and movement and asking some questions about the accident. But if the injured person complains of neck pain, isn't fully awake or has obvious signs of weakness or neurological injury, emergency diagnostic tests may be needed. These tests may include: A few days after injury, when some of the swelling may have subsided, your doctor will conduct a neurological exam to determine the level and completeness of your injury. This involves testing your muscle strength and your ability to sense light touch and a pinprick. Unfortunately, there's no way to reverse damage to the spinal cord. But researchers are continually working on new treatments, including prostheses and medications that may promote nerve cell regeneration or improve the function of the nerves that remain after a spinal cord injury. In the meantime, spinal cord injury treatment focuses on preventing further injury and empowering people with a spinal cord injury to return to an active and productive life. Urgent medical attention is critical to minimize the effects of any head or neck trauma. That's why treatment for a … Continue reading →