Spinal injury patients with limited hand function are able to access the internet through modified iPads

Spinal patients at the Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney are using modified iPads to help them browse the Web and connect with family and friends.

The specially configured iPads have been modified for the needs of patients with paraplegia and tetraplegia, who often spend around six to nine months in hospital undergoing rehabilitation after an accident. Continue Reading »

DENVER — They were told they’d never fly again. But an invention being put to use right here in the metro area could give new hope to military pilots injured at war. Continue Reading »

The most common types of spinal cord injury are contusions and compressions. Unlike most other parts of the human body that get contused (bruised) or compressed (pressured), the spinal cord when so affected can lead to severe and permanent dysfunction. Spinal contusions occur when the spinal cord is bruised, often causing inflammation and bleeding from blood vessels near the injury site. Spinal compressions occur when pressure is applied to the spinal cord by an outside source, such as bones, from a vertebral fracture, or blood, from an adjacent hematoma. Since the spinal cord is composed of neural pathways that cannot regenerate once they are destroyed, spinal contusions and compressions can lead to permanent paralysis. Spinal contusions and compressions are usually medical emergencies, requiring immediate treatment. Continue Reading »