Spinal stimulation helps paralyzed man stand, make step-like movements

The pairing of electrical stimulation of the spinal cord and extensive physical therapy has allowed a man with paralyzed legs to stand and make step-like movements. Conducted by a team of Mayo Clinic researchers and a team led by V. Reggie Edgerton, PhD, of the University of California, Los Angeles, the work was featured in an article published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

The 26-year-old man had injured his spinal cord at the sixth thoracic vertebra three years ago. He was diagnosed with a motor complete spinal cord injury, meaning he could not move or feel anything below the middle of his abdomen.

The study began with 22 weeks of intense physical therapy to train the muscles in completing the tasks set by the spinal cord stimulation. Following physical therapy, an electrode was implanted in the patient that sent electrical current to the spinal cord and connected to a computer-controlled device under the patient’s skin.

After three-weeks of recovery, the patient continued physical therapy along with spinal stimulation. After two weeks, the patient was able to control his muscles and move his legs and make step-like movement while lying on his side. He was also able to stand with support.

"We're really excited, because our results went beyond our expectations," said neurosurgeon Kendall Lee, MD, PhD, principal investigator and director of Mayo Clinic's Neural Engineering Laboratory. "These are initial findings, but the patient is continuing to make progress."

"While these are early results, it speaks to how Mayo Clinic researchers relentlessly pursue discoveries and innovative solutions that address the unmet needs of patients," said Gregory Gores, MD, Mayo Clinic's executive dean of research. "These teams highlight Mayo Clinic's unique culture of collaboration, which brings together scientists and physician experts who work side by side to accelerate scientific discoveries into critical advances for patient care."