by KYW's medical editor Dr. Brian McDonough
There are 10,000 new spinal cord injuries each year in the United States and one of the greatest sources of frustration for victims, family members and those who treat them is that many of these injuries lead to various forms of lifelong paralysis.
There has been tremendous research in the area and, although we have not had any major breakthrough, lots of little ones can have an affect.
An example is in the journal Neuron where researchers in California have done something new. Researchers have never before been able to get successful nerve regeneration late after spinal cord injury. But now they report a new way to promote regeneration in the spinal cord that works in rats even when treatment is delayed by more than a year after the injury.
While researchers note that regenerating nerve cells grow relatively short distances, the nerves did grow through and past the lesion and even this degree of growth could mean the improvement of wrist or hand movement in a patient with neck injury.
Obviously, this is an animal study but it will lead to further research and hopefully further developments.
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