Un 33 -year -old man, paralyzed in the lower limbs after a serious trauma, has returned to walk thanks to a treatment of medullary neurostimulation conducted toIRCCS San Raffaele Hospital of Milan. The case, described in a study published on Med – Cell Pressortrepresents a milestone in research on spinal cord injuries. And it offers new perspectives for those who live with serious engines deficit. The details of this extraordinary result are reported on Official website of the IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital.
The injury and system of a medullary neurostimulator
Four years ago, an accident caused the patient a bone marrow lesion at low thoracic level (T11-T12), compromising both the central and peripheral nervous system. Despite two intensive rehabilitation cycles, the man could neither walk nor to stand up. The turning point came with the clinical trial Neuro-scons-001coordinated by the Multidisciplinary Team of the Mine Lab of San Raffaele, in collaboration with the Bioengineeri of the Sant’Anna High School of Pisa, led by Professor Silvestro Myra.
Through the plant of a medullary neurostimulator with 32 electrodes, Positioned between T11 and L1, the doctors have “re -accested” residual nerve circuits, essential for control of the trunk and hip muscles. “We have demonstrated, for the first time, the effectiveness of epidural electrical stimulation assisted by rehabilitation in restoring the motor functions of the lower limbs In a patient with a serious injury extended to the medullary cone, allowing him to reach the erect and walking station for short distances “, explains Dr. Luigi Albano, neurosurgeon and first author of the study.
Paraplegic returns to walk with medullary neurostimulation
The patient followed an avant -garde rehabilitation program, which integrated in virtual reality and sensory feedback. In just three months, he recovered the hip mobility, postural control and trunk decline, With obvious progress only when the stimulator was active.
«In six months, He walked independently for 1 kilometer with the help of a walking and guardian “underlines Dr. Daniele Emedoli, San Raffaele physiotherapist. These results were possible thanks to the collaboration between neurosurgery, physiotherapists, physiatrists, neurologists and engineers, as highlighted by Dr. Sandro Iannaccone, director of the Rehabilitation Department: “Only thanks to a multidisciplinary approach was it possible to achieve such significant results”.
New hopes for patients
There injury to the medullary cone, The terminal portion of the spinal cord, is particularly complex because involves both motor and sensitive and autonomous functions, such as the control of bladder and intestine. Road accidents or falls are among the main causes, and traditional therapeutic options offer limited recoveries. Epidural electrical stimulation (EES), combined with a personalized rehabilitation, represents a turning point. “The results of this study offer new hopes for patients with serious medullary lesions who have lived a long period of immobility,” says Professor Pietro Mortini, primary of neurosurgery at San Raffaele.
In addition to motor recovery, the patient has reported a significant improvement in neuropathic pain and quality of life, demonstrating the transformative potential of this technology. The work is based on a path started in 2023 with the first neurostimulator plant at San Raffaele, whose preliminary results, published on Science Translational Medicine In 2025, they had already highlighted the effectiveness on two patients.
This clinical case, therefore, the first in the world to demonstrate the effectiveness of neurostimulation for injuries to the spinal cord, marks a step forward in regenerative medicine.
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