Previously, science believed that spinal cord injury was a permanent, irreversible form of paralysis. But now it's different.
It is no exaggeration to say that spinal injuries are one of the worst types of accidents. The spinal cord, which is responsible for sending signals to the brain, forms the central nervous system, which regulates the movement and sensation of the body. So when it gets hurt, the risk of disability is extremely high.
In fact, there are many cases of spinal cord injury that lead to partial paralysis, which can not move. And to the scientific community, these are permanent damage, no chance of recovery.
Recently, a study funded by the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation brought a breakthrough that shocked medicine. It was a device implanted in the spine, and it helped three patients with paralysis to stand up, taking the first steps in years.
One of three patients, Jered Chinnock (29), has been paralyzed since 2013. He is also the first paranoid patient to walk alone at the Mayo Clinic. With a device inserted into the spine, it brings the ability to "reconnect" neurons from the leg to the brain. All that is needed is to think about walking or getting up, that's enough.
Accidents of terror
In February 2013, Chinnock was riding a snowmobile on a lake with his fiancée Nicole and his friends. Unfortunately, he tripped over a rock and threw it out. And from behind, a sled is coming ...
"I thought I was just slightly injured, but then I realized I could not get up," Chinnock said.
The collision was terrifying. Chinnock, 23, broke his ribs last year, injuring his lung, while his spine fractured in three.
Chinnock before the crash, and the present
Doctors at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, have resumed his spine, but the inner nervous system has been permanently damaged. The entire lower body control signal has been severely affected. He could not even move anything down his waist.
"I have been preparing my wheelchair for the rest of my life."
The next two patients, Kelly Thomas (23) and Jeff Marquis, were also paralyzed after the accident.
For Kelly she encountered a traffic accident in July 2014. In just one minute, the pickup truck driver slipped to the sidelines, and as he tried to correct the situation, the car rolled over. She pounded her head on the roof of the car, the compression force coming straight down her spine and causing her severe injury.
Jeff Marquis (35), a mountain bike ride in 2011 in Montana, changed his life.
"I'm down and doing some jumps that should not be done," Marquis said.
"I was not sure if I should have missed the hole or try to jump in. I chose to dance, and the result was a neck break."
In fact, the three cases are not the worst. Christopher Reeve, who was named Superman Superman in the 20th century, was paralyzed after a riding accident in 1995.
The disease was not curable, and he died in 2004 of a heart attack. But before that, he and his wife set up the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation for the World Polio - the organization that funded the study.
Unmatched medical breakthroughs
Fortunately for the victims, they are living in a time of rapid technological development. Experts from the Mayo Clinic have decided to try a combination of physiotherapy and a spinal imaging device to restore the mobility of polio patients.
In addition to the Christopher Foundation, the research is funded by the National Institutes of Health, in collaboration with researchers from the University of California Los Angeles and the University of Louisville.
In the case of Chinnock, he has been subjected to a rigorous 22-week physical therapy course since 2016. Initially, his body was attached to the treadmill, so that his legs were constantly moving. And muscle does not degenerate.
After the process is over, the electrodes begin implanting directly under the affected area, and the wires are connected to the battery located at the stomach. The device is tuned using a set of tools like the remote TV. When turned on, Chinnock can walk on his own. When off, he lost that ability.
Only two weeks after the operation, Chinnock was able to perform some basic movements, even to stand up. The problem is that you can control those movements by thinking.
"He can control the motion of his legs by himself, we can help him get up and walk by himself," said Dr. Kendall Lee, a neurosurgeon at Mayo. Share Clinic.
At the end of therapy, Chinnock is learning how to carry his weight-bearing body, balancing without any supportive tools. In addition, the control of the device without the need to speak out also need to practice. Up to now, he is capable of balance to ... archery.
"Research shows that even when poliomyelitis occurs, neurons are always available," Lee said.
"This will bring hope to millions of patients with polio who can move around the world."
