How can spinal cord injuries impact a family financially?
Each year, approximately 500,000 people worldwide suffer a spinal cord injury, according to World Health Organization estimates. Spinal cord injuries can leave victims without the ability to walk, move their arms, and even unable to breathe on their own, in the most severe of cases. Now, a revolutionary new injection is showing potentially life-changing results for spinal cord injury patients. Researchers in the U.S. and U.K. have been testing the injection of the enzyme chondroitinase ABC. The drug thus far has the ability to restore diaphragm function and partial limb function in rats with spinal cord injuries. Our New Mexico spinal cord injury lawyers explore this exciting potential treatment option and the impact of spinal cord injuries on families below.
Chondroitinase ABC
In a new report published in Nature Communications, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine researchers and others revealed their study involving the injection of rats with chronic spinal cord injuries with the enzyme chondroitinase ABC or ChABC. The drug was found to permanently restore breathing function in the rats and partially restore some limb function. These positive results occurred after just one injection.
The enzyme is said to allow for new axonal growth, which can restore severed functioning. Previously, other studies have examined the use of the injection on newly inflicted spinal cord injuries. The prospect of restoring functioning to those with long-term spinal cord injuries is more challenging. This new study should provide hope for many with long-term spinal cord injuries.
In fact, the research team found that in the rats studied, new nerves started to grow just one week after the injection, restoring breathing in some 60 percent of the animals involved in the study. These results could indicate that the enzyme actually works better in chronic injuries, as opposed to recent or acute ones.
The Costs of a Spinal Cord Injury
Spinal cord injuries are known to be some of the most physically, emotionally, and financially costly injuries for victims and their families. Patients with a severe spinal cord injury will typically need round the clock care for the remainder of their lives. These expenses will quickly climb into the millions and can bankrupt the average family. Given the tremendous costs associated with a spinal cord injury, individuals who have sustained a spinal cord injury due to the negligence of another should consult with a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible.
Posted in: Spinal Cord Injuries