Cellular Therapy Targeting Functional Outcome in a Case of Cervical Spinal Cord Injury

Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury is a neurological condition characterized by partial or complete sensory/motor loss below the level of lesion. Definitive treatment directed towards repair, regeneration of the severed cord has not been established. The recovery of these patients is quite slow and in some cases it attains a plateau. Here we present a case report of a 23 year old male with traumatic quadriplegia at C6 level. He was administered autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells intrathecally, followed by intensive neurorehabilitation. Prior to this intervention, the patient was assessed on Functional Independence Measure (FIM) and other neurological assessments. He scored 58/126 on FIM and exhibited weakness on the left side and loss of sensations on the right. He was completely dependent on all his Activities of Daily Living (ADL’s) except for communication and social cognition. Six months post cellular therapy, there was improvement in thefunctional status with FIM score 76 /126. He improved in bed mobility, static and dynamic balance, transfers and ADL’s. He was able to walk with walker and AFO with push knee splint on left independently. His vocational status also improved. This case report contributes to the literature as one of the preliminary evidence suggesting that cell therapy along with neurorehabilitation may fasten the recovery processes in patients with traumatic spinal cord injuries.