Weekly Online Lesson Online Lesson Archive Grade Level: 7-12 Subject: Health

Repairing Spinal Cord Injury

In Israel, doctors are having success with a new method for treating spinal cord injuries. Melissa Holley, an 18-year-old American girl, was the first person to undergo treatment last year after a car accident left her a paraplegic. Twelve months later, she has regained movement in her toes and legs and has bladder control, improving her quality of life and reducing chances of a urinal infection that is a common cause of death among paraplegics.

Holley began regaining sensation several months after white blood cells called macrophages were injected into her spinal cord at a hospital near Tel Aviv last July. The body uses macrophages to heal wounds and regenerate tissues. Regeneration of the spinal cord has never before been recorded.

The scarcity of macrophages in the central nervous system is the main reason severe spinal injuries are permanent. With this new procedure, injected microphages slowly begin to repair nerve fibers.

In this week's online lesson you will learn about spinal cord injuries, and how, until a proven treatment is widely available, people who have suffered such injuries must learn to cope with dramatic lifestyle changes.

Spinal Cord Injury Resource Center

Begin this week's lesson by visiting the Spinal Cord Injury Resource Center, where you can learn about the basic anatomy, physiology, and complications resulting from a spinal cord injury or SCI. Start at Spinal Cord 101, a collection of basic questions and answers about the spinal cord and SCI. Pay close attention to the description of injury levels (C1-8, T1-12, L1-5, and S1-5), and what functions are associated with the various vertebrae along the spinal column. Click Continued on Next Page to continue with the questions and answers. What bodily functions would a person with a C6 spinal cord injury most likely lose? What are the increased health risks associated with SCI?

You can learn more about the anatomy of the spinal cord by clicking Basic Anatomy under the Spinal Cord 101 heading. It will become clear to you how complex the spine really is. First read about the vertebrae in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbocacral spine areas, and then learn about the nerve and sensory pathways. Which spine areas give motion to the head? What kind of information is transmitted along the sensory pathways?

Spinal Cord Tutorial

The previous resource touched lightly on the function of the brain in relation to the spinal column, but there's much more to the story. Visit the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation's Brain and Spinal Cord Tutorials index, read the introduction, and then begin with the tutorial What does the brain do? In this overview you will find out how the spinal column acts like a two-way highway of communication between the body and the brain. How would you define the Central Nervous System?

When you reach the end of the page you can click Next to continue on to the next tutorial (recommended), or you can go back and choose a topic from the list of tutorial topics. Why is the central nervous system so well protected? Why doesn't the nervous system regenerate very well?

Given what you now know about the central nervous system, you should understand the importance of preventing spinal cord injuries. Go to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) site and read the Spinal Cord Injuries page. Among other things, you can read a list of tips for reducing the risk of injury. What are the three leading causes of SCI? How many people in the U.S. sustain a traumatic spinal cord injury each year?

Wheelweb

If you have never known or cared for a person with a spinal cord disability, it may be difficult to understand or appreciate what challenges they must face every day. Wheelweb.com is an online community for people with spinal cord injuries. Among other resources here, you can read personal injury stories from those who have chosen to share their experiences online. Read as many stories as you like — they're all fascinating and wonderful in their own right. What unexpected challenges did you learn about? What barriers had to be overcome, and how were they overcome?

Wheely Willy

Humans aren't the only ones to overcome spinal cord injuries. A paraplegic dog in Long Beach, California continues to inspire many with his determination and joy of life. Read the tale of Wheely Willy at Discovery's Animal Planet site. What was Willy's condition when he was found? Why is Willy so well received at hospitals, schools, and nursing homes?

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