In 2007, there were over 6 million motor vehicle accidents in the United States, and of those, 2.5 million were injured and more than 41,000 lost their lives. Spine fractures are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. This research provides evidence that the combination of air bags and seat belts affords the best protection against spinal fractures sustained in motor vehicle crashes. Continue Reading »

THE dangers of diving into shallow water have been highlighted with a timely warning from Health Minister Daniel Andrews.

Announcing funding for a new X-ray machine at the Royal Talbot Rehabilitation Centre in Kew, he urged people to check water depth before diving to avoid a lifelong spinal cord injury.

Research shows that of the 381 spinal cord injury cases reported during 2004-05 in Australia, 26 were caused by a diving or surfing accident. About 90 people a year suffer a spinal cord injury in Victoria. Continue Reading »

DUBLIN, Ireland–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Research and Markets has announced the addition of the “Moving Forward after Spinal Cord Injury DVD” report to their offering.

Moving Forward after Spinal Cord Injury is a comprehensive, educational program used by therapists to prepare spinal cord injury patients and families for discharge.

Developed by professionals at RehabCare, this program contains current best practices in Spinal Cord Injury rehabilitation. Continue Reading »

An injury to the spinal cord could result in a catastrophic permanent disability to the patient. Approximately 10,000 new cases of spinal cord injury (SCI) occur each year in the United States with most occurring in men between the ages of 16 and 30. The etiology of the majority of cases is associated with motor vehicle crashes followed by penetrating trauma; falls, especially in the elderly; and sports and recreational activities. Elderly patients are more prone to suffering from SCI from minor trauma due to degenerative vertebral disorders. In addition, elderly patients have become more active over the years; thus, the incidence of SCI in the elderly is on the rise. Continue Reading »

What are stem cells?

Stem cells have the remarkable potential to develop into many different cell types in the body. Serving as a sort of repair system for the body, they can theoretically divide without limit to replenish other cells as long as the person or animal is alive.

When a stem cell divides, each new cell has the potential to either remain a stem cell or become another type of cell with a more specialized function, such as a muscle cell, a red blood cell or a brain cell. Continue Reading »

OBJECTIVE: To measure the acquisition, use and satisfaction with high technology equipment by spinal cord injured tetraplegic subjects. DESIGN AND SETTING: A questionnaire was mailed to 102 tetraplegic subjects who were hospitalised in the rehabilitation center of Kerpape (Ploemeur, France) between 1998 and 2004, and 59 subjects responded. The questionnaire asked about the use of telephones, computers, wheelchairs and environmental controls at home. Continue Reading »

Fat cells treat spinal cord injury

Tampa, Fla. (Dec. 10, 2008) – A study published in the current issue of CELL TRANSPLANTATION (Vol.17, No. 8) suggests that mature adipocytes – fat cells – could become a source for cell replacement therapy to treat central nervous system disorders.

According to the study’s lead researcher, Dr. Yuki Ohta of the Institute of Medical Science, St. Mariana University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, Japan, adipose-derived stem/stromal cells have in the past been shown to differentiate into neuronal cells in an in vitro setting. Continue Reading »

Once little more than a futile hope, some restoration of the injured spinal cord is beginning to seem feasible

Editor’s Note: This story, originally printed in the September 1999 issue of Scientific American, is being posted due to a new study

showing that nerve cells can be regenerated by knocking out genes that typically inhibit their growth.

For Chinese gymnast Sang Lan, the cause was a highly publicized headfirst fall during warm-ups for the 1998 Goodwill Games. Continue Reading »

Scientists recently succeeded in stimulating paralyzed muscles through an artificial connection. In time the breakthrough by scientists at the University of Washington (UW) could benefit patients handicapped by stroke, spinal cord injury and similar catastrophic events. Rewiring the brain represents an ergonomic approach to helping severely paralyzed individuals cope with their diability; allowing them, for example, to turn dials, press buttons or hold a coffee cup. Continue Reading »

Spinal cord injuries cripple around eleven thousand people in the United States each year. Oftentimes, the victim’s injuries result in permanent paralysis, an injury lawyer from Dallas Texas specializing in spinal cord, injuries reports:

Individuals between the ages of 16 and 30 are most likely to suffer from spinal cord injuries and the male population is at a greater risk than women, 80 percent more. In technical terms, only the lower body of a Paraplegic is paralyzed. Other, more severe injuries result crippling most of the body, including arms and legs, called Quadriplegia or Tetraplegia. Continue Reading »