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A paralyzed young man after a snowmobile accident made a medical history by walking independently after an innovative surgical procedure.
US doctors have used an electrode implanted under the site of the lesion to stimulate the surviving nerves of the spinal cord.
During tests, the 29-year-old patient was able to get up and walk 111 meters (the length of a football field) while pushing a walker forward.
As soon as the remotely controlled electrode was turned off, he became paralyzed again.
It was the first time that the unidentified man was able to walk alone since his accident five years ago.
Dr. Kendall Lee, neurosurgeon, who co-led the team at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, said, "After implantation and stimulation, the patient was able to resume voluntary control of the movements of his legs.
"The reason why this is important is that the patient's mind, he thought, was able to drive the movement in his legs.
"Equally important is that we managed to convince him to stand up and do his own thing.
"It's very exciting, but very early in the research phase."
The man had suffered a severe spinal cord injury in the middle of the back, resulting in complete loss of movement and sensory function under the torso.
Unlike the peripheral nerves, the nerves of the spinal cord can not repair themselves.
Because of this, spinal injuries often change their lives and are devastating, leading to crippling paralysis.
The technique used by the Mayo Clinic team, described in Nature Medicine, was based on decades-old technology.
The electrode has been adapted from the type of electrical stimulation device commonly used to treat pain.
However, it had to be placed at a specific location below the wound site and set to provide the correct type of pulsed signal.
The question of how to electrically stimulate a sectioned spinal cord was able to restore the voluntary movement remains unanswered.
Scientists believe that this can depend on residual nerve fibers by keeping a communication channel with the brain.
Dr. Kristin Zhao, co-principal investigator and director of the Mayo Clinic's Assistive Technology and Restoration Technology Lab, said, "Now, I think the real challenge is to understand how this has happened. past, why and what patients will respond.
At a press conference, researchers revealed that a second patient had received the same treatment and was still being evaluated.
They were not willing to discuss this patient's progress.
The surgery was performed under general anesthesia and consisted of inserting an electrode into the epidural space, the hollow region filled with fat surrounding the spinal cord.
A battery implanted in the abdomen was connected to the electrode via a wire hidden under the skin.
The first week after the surgery, the patient had to use a harness to reduce the risk of falling and help him regain his body balance.
After 25 weeks, he no longer needed harnesses.
Over the course of a year, he passed important milestones, including walking 111 yards, crossing 331 steps and walking continuously for 16 minutes.
Although he was able to stand up and walk when he wanted to, he still needed the help of a skateboarding frame and occasional help from him. rehabilitation team.
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