Tiny wraparound implants ‘represent new approach for spinal cord injuries’

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A tiny, flexible electronic implant that wraps around the spinal cord could offer new ways to treat disability and paralysis-causing spinal injuries, a new study suggests. We can collect all the information we need from the spinal cord in a far less invasive way, so this would be a much safer approach for treating spinal injuries Dr Damiano Barone Unlike current approaches, the Cambridge devices can record 360-degree information, giving a complete picture of spinal cord activity. “We can collect all the information we need from the spinal cord in a far less invasive way, so this would be a much safer approach for treating spinal injuries.” Tests in live animals and human cadaver models showed the devices could also stimulate arm and leg movement and bypass complete spinal cord injuries where communication between the brain and spinal cord had been interrupted. While new treatments are still at least several years away, the researchers say the devices could be useful in the near-term for monitoring spinal cord activity during surgery.