The “Gemini” spinal cord fusion protocol: Reloaded

In 1902, Stewart and Harte reported on CN, aged 26 years, who had her spinal cord severed by a 0.32 caliber gunshot. The distance between the segments of the cord was 0.75 inch, as verified by all five attending physicians: “The ends of the cord were then approximated with 3 chromicized catgut sutures passed by means of a small staphylorraphy needle, one suture being passed anteroposteriorly through the entire thickness of the cord and the other two being passed transversely. This part of the operation was attended with unusual difficulties because of...the wide interval between the fragments, the catgut frequently tearing out before the ends were finally brought together.” Sixteen months later, “the patient slides out of bed into her chair by her own efforts and is able to stand with either hand on the back of a chair, thus supporting much of the weight of the body.”[36]