spinal cord injury

Published on: July 26, 2023

Spinal Cord Injury Could Damage Immune System

Spinal cord injuries are serious personal injuries that can be caused after an auto accident. New research finds that these injuries, in addition to permanently impacting a person’s day to day functioning, can significantly damage a person’s immunity, exposing the patient to the risk of life-threatening infections.

A spinal cord injury can result from any kind of blow or serous impact to the spine. The impact does not have to include a fracture. A spinal cord injury can also be caused by crushing injuries or dislocation of the spine. For example, when a person is thrown about the inside of a car during an auto accident, she or he could suffer serious personal injuries to the spine. A motorcycle rider who is thrown off a motorcycle could land on the ground with force that is significant enough to fracture his spine. In fact, spine injuries are common in motorcycle accidents when a person is separated from the motorcycle.

The risk of paralysis is very serious after a spinal cord injury. These consequences of a spinal injury can also have a long term impact on a person’s health. A new study finds that a spinal injury may also trigger immunodeficiency syndrome. This condition can result in a loss of immunity, thereby exposing the person to the risk of infections. The study was conducted by researchers on 111 patients who had suffered spinal cord injury. They found that soon after a spinal cord injury, the number of antibodies in the body dropped. There was also a deactivation of the monocytes or white blood cells that are responsible for staving off infections.

Published on: November 23, 2021

New Spinal Injury Treatment Promises Healing for Paralysis Patients

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Spinal cord injuries can have a devastating impact on a person’s life and livelihood. These injuries can be permanent and may have no permanent cure.

Treatment for spinal cord injuries typically involves the management of decreased mobility and movement in patients. New studies recently, however, have shown a promising way forward in spinal injury treatment.

Scientists recently experimented on mice using an injectable therapy involving nanofibers to cover the damaged spinal tissue after the injury. The injections comprise of liquid nanogels that cover the damaged area, and create an environment that is very similar to the natural cellular environment. The nanofibers are able to mimic the natural movement of the cells, thereby promoting healing in these areas. The researchers found extraordinary results with the use of the therapy. After just about three to four weeks of the therapy, the mice were able to walk, and most of the damage was reversed.

Published on: November 26, 2019

Spinal Cord Injuries in Slip and Fall Accidents: Frail Victims Have Higher Risk of Complications

by Robert N. Katz, Esq.

Spinal cord injuries can be devastating and have life long implications. A traumatic spinal cord injury is difficult to recover from for most all individuals. However, frail victims of spinal cord injuries may have a much higher risk of adverse effects and complications than healthy individuals. These complications can include greater occurrence of hospitalizations and death after the injury.

According to the results of a new study that was published in the Journal of Neurotrauma, frail victims of a spinal injury are at a higher risk of possibly life -threatening complications after the injury. The researchers identified spinal cord injury victims from between 2004 and 2016. The average median age of the patients was 50.3 years. Out of a total of 643 patients that were studied as part of the research, 77 percent were male. Falls were the leading cause of spinal injuries, with more than 60 percent of the patients, having suffered a spinal injury as the result of a slip and fall accident.

The researchers found that in patients below the age of 60 years, a person’s frail condition was a fairly reliable predictor of the number of adverse events, in-hospital mortality as well as length of hospital stay. In patients that were between 61 and 75 years of age, the frailty index also predicted the number of adverse events, length of hospital stay as well as in- hospital mortality. However, in patients above the age of 75, frailty did not predict any outcomes.