Spinal Cord Injury & Damage

Spinal Cord Injury & Damage Reverend Kyle H. Hatashita D.D. Block 3 Honors Mrs. Jensen Central Nervous System Spinal Cord Injuries Affect mainly the CNS Disrupts Transmission of Nerve Signals

Swelling can disrupt or shut down every system in the body Caused by Trauma or Disease Two Types of Injury: Incomplete & Complete Effects Paralysis Dysfunction of bowels and bladder Male infertility Inability to regulate blood pressure

Inability to sweat below level of injury Chronic pain Effects cont. Cervical: Above C4: Ventillator C5-C7: Little hand/arm control

Thoracic: Paraplegic: wrist/ hand ok T1-T8: Poor torso control T9-T12: Better torso control Types Complete:

No function or sensation below injury site Both Sides equally affected Can Result in quadriplegia Incomplete: Some function and/or sensation below injury site One side may be more affected than other Statistics

Approximately 450,000 people live with SCI in the US About 10,000 new cases per year with 82% of them being male aged 16-30 36% of that resulting from auto accidents Statistics cont. 85% of SCI patients (due to trauma) who survive the first 24 hours are alive 10 years later

Most common cause of death in SCI patients are diseases of the respiratory system Second: non-ischemic heart disease Third: Suicide Immediate Treatment Prevention of further Damage Emotional Therapy

Preventing Inflammation Corticosteroid Controller Medications (MS) Treatment of chronic spinal cord injured patients with autologous bone marrowderived hematopoietic stem cell transplantation Cairo University conducted human trial of hematopoietic progenitor stem cells in SCI

Patients Results: Improved functions Not FDA approved MRI showed no tumors Awaiting 1 year follow up UC Irvine Gained FDA approval for Embryonic Stem Cell Treatment Thoracic Injuries only

Not in clinical stages yet