A new study revealed that a multidisciplinary approach tospinal cord injury treatment and research will provide more effective treatments for those with the often hard to treat injuries. Professor of anatomy and neurobiology, orthopedic surgery, and biomedical engineering at University of California, Irvine, Dr. Ranjan Gupta suggested that new pharmaceutical formulae in combination with emerging stem cell therapies hold the most promise for spinal cord injury victims, a One India article reported.
Gupta added that spinal cord injuries present special difficulties due to the multitude of physiological changes that take place after a spinal cord injury. He told One India, ‘The primary mode of an SCI involves changes to the patient’s anatomy that occur as the result of the actual traumatic event. Secondary injuries may occur as a result of how the body responds to the primary injury, usually by producing scar tissue that can make treatment problematic.’ He added that many areas of research will provide combined results that will change the way spinal cord injuries are treated in as little as 10 years.
While Gupta cautioned that no one single treatment is likely to be a panacea for spinal cord injury, the combination of multiple novel treatment options soon to emerge will provide outcomes substantially better than most injury victims face today. He also noted that treatment would continue to include spinal surgery in one form or another. The Surgical Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury Study (STASCIS) will likely incorporate emerging novel treatments as they become available.
The recent study encouraging a multidisciplinary approach to spinal cord injury was published in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. In related news, the Missouri State Senate recently passed a bill that, if passed into law, would provide $250,000 grants for spinal cord research projects in the state. As spinal cord injury research continues to gain momentum on state and national levels, the future looks bright for survivors.
References:
Health Jockey Staff. (April 5, 2010) ‘Next decade may provide potential treatment for spinal cord injuries.’ Retrieved on April 6, 2010 from the Health Jockey Web site:http://www.healthjockey.com/2010/04/05/next-decade-may-provide-potential…
McGivern, Kyle. (March 25, 2010) ‘Hope for Spinal Cord Research.’ Retrieved on April 6, 2010 from the KOMU TV Web site:http://www.komu.com/satellite/SatelliteRender/KOMU.com/ba8a4513-c0a8-2f1…
One India Staff. (April 2, 2010) ‘Multidisciplinary approach can help spinal cord injury treatment.’ Retrieved on April 6, 2010 from the One India Web site:http://news.oneindia.in/2010/04/02/multidisciplinaryapproach-can-help-sp…