Functional Recovery in Chronic Stage of Spinal Cord Injury by Neurorestorative Approach: A Case Report

Case Reports in Surgery, 2014 · DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/404207 · Published: March 11, 2014

Spinal Cord Injury Regenerative Medicine Neurorehabilitation

Simple Explanation

This case report discusses the use of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNCs) transplantation along with standard rehabilitation to treat a 6-year-old girl with chronic spinal cord injury. The patient received two doses of cell transplantation with an interval of 6 months and showed clinical improvements, particularly in sensory gain, bladder control, and gait, without any major side effects. The improvements observed in the patient's functional abilities during the chronic plateau phase suggest that cell therapy could be a potential treatment for chronic spinal cord injury.

Study Duration

6 Months

Participants

One 6-year-old girl with traumatic SCI

Evidence Level

Level 4; Case Report

Key Findings

1
The patient showed clinical improvements, which was assessed using Functional Independence Measure (before: 82, after: 101 out of 126).
2
There were patchy areas of sensory gain in bilateral feet recorded, with improvements in the bladder sensation and control.
3
Improved gait was seen as a result of better strength in abdominals and back extensors.

Research Summary

This case report presents the outcomes of a 6-year-old girl with chronic spinal cord injury who underwent autologous BMMNCs transplantation along with standard rehabilitation. The patient exhibited improvements in sensory function, bladder control, gait, and overall functional independence after receiving two doses of cell therapy. The findings suggest that cell therapy could be a potential treatment option for chronic SCI patients, though further studies are needed.

Practical Implications

Potential Therapeutic Approach

Cell therapy with autologous BMMNCs could be considered as a potential therapeutic approach for improving functional outcomes in chronic SCI patients.

Improved Quality of Life

The improvements observed in the case study suggest that cell therapy can improve the quality of life for individuals with spinal cord injury.

Further Research

Further studies with larger and homogenous samples are needed to establish the results of cell therapy in SCI patients.

Study Limitations

1
The unavailability of objective imaging to actually visualize the regeneration occurring at the level of injury before and after the neuroregenerative and neurorehabilitation treatment is one of the limitations.
2
Further studies are needed to analyze more types of potent cells which can be incorporated and the best route for administering those cells.
3
The possible dosage of these cells along with number of repetitions of these cell therapies with time interval between them also needs to be explored.

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