Electronically-Assisted Walking

People with severed spinal cords have no sensations in their legs. They are normally confined to wheelchairs. A paper in Nature Medicine and covered by the BBC (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-60258620) looked, however, at research in Lausanne (Switzerland). Here, some young men with severed spines (acquired in, for example, motorcycle accidents) had electrical devices implanted into their spines. These patients were able to pass messages, enabling them to sequentially move their legs. With the support of a standard walker device, they were able to move from location to location. The treatment certainly improved the quality of life for these individuals. All, however, were young, otherwise fit, men who had been injured as adults. The technique clearly would not work in people who lacked upper body strength. In fairness, the doctors involved in the studies,were keen to stress that the technique was far from a 'cure'. It is, however, interesting progress, offering some hope.