Recent therapeutic approaches for spinal cord injury

Abstract

Spinal cord injuries refer to the impairment of motor and sensory functions due to traumatic or non-traumatic damage to the spinal cord, which plays a crucial role in the central nervous system. In traumatic cases, an examination is conducted to distinguish between 'primary injury' resulting from the impact and 'secondary injury' involving biochemical events. In non-traumatic cases, physiological or neurological conditions are considered. Spinal cord injuries cause damage to the white and gray matter located in the deeper parts of the spinal cord. To classify the various complications caused by this damage, a fundamental treatment scale known as the International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury, established by the American Spinal Injury Association, has been created to facilitate diagnosis and treatment. The course of the disease is better understood through sensory and motor tests conducted according to this standard. Complications in the lesion area are often diagnosed using magnetic resonance imaging. This review addresses the structure of the spinal cord, the causes and factors of injury, and some current clinical approaches and treatment methods.

Cite this article as: Kulmaç HB, Erbaş O. Recent therapeutic approaches for spinal cord injury. D J Med Sci 2024;10(2):83-89. doi: 10.5606/fng.btd.2024.157.

Writing the article: H.B.K.; Control/supervision: O.E.

The authors declared no conflicts of interest with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article.

The authors received no financial support for the research and/or authorship of this article.

Data Sharing Statement:
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.