Partial Restoration of Spinal Cord Neural Continuity via Sural Nerve Transplantation Using a Technique of Spinal Cord Fusion.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Spinal cord injury (SCI) can cause paralysis and serious chronic morbidity, and there is no effective treatment. Based on our previous experimental results of spinal cord fusion (SCF) in mice, rats, beagles, and monkeys, we developed a surgical protocol of SCF for paraplegic human patients. We designed a novel surgical procedure of SCF, called sural nerve transplantation (SNT), for human patients with lower thoracic SCI and distal cord dysfunction.

Methods

We conducted a clinical trial (ChiCTR2000030788) and performed SNT in 12 fully paraplegic patients due to SCI between T1 and T12. We assessed pre- and postoperative central nerve pain, motor function, sensory function, and autonomic nerve function. Conduction of action potentials across the sural nerve transplan

SUBMITTER: Ren X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8882688 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature