“Wraparound” Implant for Treating Spinal Cord Injury

A small device that wraps around the spinal cord to provide a “360-degree picture” has been developed by a team from the University of Cambridge – a potential future tool in the treatment of various conditions including spinal cord injury, chronic pain, inflammation and hypertension.

Eliminating the need for high-risk brain surgery as needed in past approaches, the device provides a complete picture of nerve activity going back and forth between the brain and spinal cord using very thin, flexible implants.

Recent studies indicated the devices could also stimulate limb movement in both live animal and human cadaver models, bypassing the damaged area of the spinal cord to communicate with the brain.

“Most technologies for monitoring or stimulating the spinal cord only interact with motor neurons along the back, or dorsal, part of the spinal cord… these approaches can only reach between 20 and 30 percent of the spine, so you’re getting an incomplete picture,” said co-lead researcher, Dr Damiano Barone.

Researchers said this was also the first occurrence of 360-degree recording of the spinal cord without using electrodes that pierce the spine.

Check out the research recently published in Science Advances, or refer to this story from the University of Cambridge.