Spinal injury
A 29-year-old has become the first woman to skateboard across the US, raising $50,000 for spinal cord research. Brooke Johnson completed the 3,266-mile journey in 119 days, travelling from Santa Monica, California, to Virginia Beach, finishing on Friday. Johnson undertook the challenge to raise money for Wings for Life, a nonprofit spinal cord research foundation, [...]
When Karen Davey (54) from Launceston started experiencing fatigue, hot flushes, and loss of appetite, she was led to believe that she was experiencing symptoms of menopause. However, a few months later, doctors found a tumour on her spinal cord that left her unable to walk. Now, alongside Spinal Injuries Association, she hopes to raise [...]
We hear from Andy Shaw, Head of Personal Injury and Medical Negligence at Higgs LLP, about his experience of supporting clients with brain and spinal injuries What makes brain and spinal cord injury claims different to general personal injury claims? Brain and spinal cord injury cases are often complex due to their long-term impact. They [...]
A major equestrian event has been renamed in honour of County Durham rider Gemma Potts, who sustained a life-changing spinal injury in 2021. The Glamour Stakes will now raise funds for Potts, from Crook, who underwent emergency spinal surgery at James Cook University Hospital and spent several months in intensive care, followed by three years [...]
A woman paralysed for two decades has written her name using only her thoughts, thanks to a brain implant being tested in a Neuralink clinical trial. Audrey Crews, who has been paralysed since the age of 16, achieved the milestone as part of a brain-computer interface (BCI) study that translates brain activity into external actions. [...]
Scientists have identified how the spinal cord regulates bladder emptying in humans, a discovery that could lead to new treatments for urinary incontinence. Using functional ultrasound imaging (fUSI), researchers visualised spinal cord activity in real time during bladder filling and emptying – the first time this has been directly observed in humans. Urinary incontinence, which [...]
Princess Anne has opened a new outdoor rehabilitation garden for patients with spinal cord injuries at Sheffield’s spinal injuries centre. The Princess Royal visited the Princess Royal Spinal Injuries Centre at the Northern General Hospital yesterday to formally open the accessible garden. Designed by Harris Bugg Studio and developed and run by spinal injury charity [...]
Amphix Bio’s lead therapy for spinal cord injury has been granted orphan drug status by the US Food and Drug Administration, potentially speeding up access for patients. The treatment, AMFX-200, uses engineered peptides—small protein fragments—that act as drugs to activate cell receptors and as scaffolds to support tissue regeneration. The designation is reserved for conditions [...]
A new 3D printed implant could aid recovery after spinal cord injury by delivering electrical signals to encourage nerve cell growth. The soft, gel-like implant includes conductive fibres that transmit electrical currents to help neurons regrow. It was developed using materials designed to replicate the spinal cord’s natural environment, including hyaluronic acid, collagen type-IV and [...]
A student who suffered a serious spinal cord injury has graduated from the University of Bristol with a first-class master’s degree in biological sciences. Archie Wills-Johnson was a year into his degree when he was injured during an American football match, describing the moment as feeling like a “big electric shock” down his right arm [...]
