Spinal cord injuries: male infertility aspects

Male infertility in spinal cord trauma.

Every year there are 10 thousand new cases of patients victimized by spinal cord trauma (SCT) in the United States and it is estimated that there are 7 thousand new cases in Brazil. Eighty percent of patients are fertile males. Infertility in this patient group is due to 3 main factors resulting from spinal cord lesions: erectile dysfunction, ejaculatory disorder and low sperm counts. Erectile ...

Medicolegal aspects of spinal cord injuries.

Spinal cord injuries.

A recent article by Dr Robert Heimburger in the Journal was titled, “Is there hope for return of function in lower extremities paralyzed by spinal cord injury?” This question can be answered by showing that innovative attempts are currently being pursued in the hope, as requested by Dr Heimburger, to improve the neurologic results of patients who tragically sustain a spinal cord injury (SCI). D...

Bridging spinal cord injuries

One strategy for spinal cord injury repair is to make cellular bridges that support axon regeneration. However, the bridging cells often fail to integrate with host tissue and may lead to increased pain sensitivity. Recent work has tested bridging with two forms of progenitor-derived astrocyte. One type integrates, suppresses scar formation and promotes axon regeneration, whereas another very s...

Healing Spinal Cord Injuries

Unlike those in the periphery, nerve fibers in the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) do not recover from traumatic injury. This makes disabilities from spinal cord damage permanent, with the severity depending on the location of the cord injury. Neck injuries can paralyze the torso and limbs, while lower back injuries can impair movement below the waist. The spinal cord is a bundle...