Citation

McDonald JW, Sadowsky C. Lancet 2002; 359(9304): 417-425.

Affiliation

Department of Neurology, Spinal Cord Injury Neuro-Rehabilitation Section, and Restorative Treatment and Research Program, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA. mcdonald@neuro.wustl.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2002, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/S0140-6736(02)07603-1

PMID

11844532

Abstract

More than a decade ago, spinal-cord injury meant confinement to a wheelchair and a lifetime of medical comorbidity. The physician's armamentarium of treatments was very limited, and provision of care for individuals with spinal-cord injury was usually met with frustration. Advances in the neurosciences have drawn attention to research into spinal-cord injury. Nowadays, advanced interventions provide high hope for regeneration and functional restoration. As scientific advances become more frequent, scepticism is giving way to the ideas that spinal-cord injury will eventually be repairable and that strategies to restore function are within our grasp. We address the present understanding of spinal-cord injury, its cause, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment, and look at promising research avenues. We also discuss new treatment options, including functional electric stimulation and part-weight-supported walking.

Language: en