Reviewing Breakthroughs and Limitations of Implantable and External Medical Device Treatments for Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a major disability that, to this day, does not have a permanent cure. The spinal cord extends caudally through the body structure of the vertebral column and is part of the central nervous system (CNS). The spinal cord enables neural communication and motor coordination,...

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Main Authors: Tooba Wallana, Konstantinos Banitsas, Wamadeva Balachandran
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-07-01
Series:Applied Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/15/8488
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author Tooba Wallana
Konstantinos Banitsas
Wamadeva Balachandran
author_facet Tooba Wallana
Konstantinos Banitsas
Wamadeva Balachandran
author_sort Tooba Wallana
collection DOAJ
description Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a major disability that, to this day, does not have a permanent cure. The spinal cord extends caudally through the body structure of the vertebral column and is part of the central nervous system (CNS). The spinal cord enables neural communication and motor coordination, so injuries can disrupt sensation, movement, and autonomic functions. Mechanical and traumatic damage to the spinal cord causes lesions to the nerves, resulting in the disruption of relayed messages to the extremities. Various forms of treatment for the spinal cord include functional electrical stimulation (FES), epidural electrical stimulation (EES), ‘SMART’ devices, exoskeleton and robotic systems, transcranial magnetic stimulation, and neuroprostheses using AI for the brain–computer interface. This research is going to analyse and review these current treatment methods for spinal cord injury and identify the current gaps and limitations in these, such as long-term biocompatibility, wireless adaptability, cost, regulatory barriers, and risk of surgery. Future advancements should work on implementing wireless data logging with AI algorithms to increase SCI device adaptability, as well as maintaining regulatory and health system integration.
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spelling doaj-art-44a324d03993460aab46d4e25b6d20c82025-08-20T03:04:42ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172025-07-011515848810.3390/app15158488Reviewing Breakthroughs and Limitations of Implantable and External Medical Device Treatments for Spinal Cord InjuryTooba Wallana0Konstantinos Banitsas1Wamadeva Balachandran2Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Brunel University of London, London UB8 3PH, UKElectronic and Electrical Engineering, Brunel University of London, London UB8 3PH, UKElectronic and Electrical Engineering, Brunel University of London, London UB8 3PH, UKSpinal cord injury (SCI) is a major disability that, to this day, does not have a permanent cure. The spinal cord extends caudally through the body structure of the vertebral column and is part of the central nervous system (CNS). The spinal cord enables neural communication and motor coordination, so injuries can disrupt sensation, movement, and autonomic functions. Mechanical and traumatic damage to the spinal cord causes lesions to the nerves, resulting in the disruption of relayed messages to the extremities. Various forms of treatment for the spinal cord include functional electrical stimulation (FES), epidural electrical stimulation (EES), ‘SMART’ devices, exoskeleton and robotic systems, transcranial magnetic stimulation, and neuroprostheses using AI for the brain–computer interface. This research is going to analyse and review these current treatment methods for spinal cord injury and identify the current gaps and limitations in these, such as long-term biocompatibility, wireless adaptability, cost, regulatory barriers, and risk of surgery. Future advancements should work on implementing wireless data logging with AI algorithms to increase SCI device adaptability, as well as maintaining regulatory and health system integration.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/15/8488spinal cord injurySCIsevered nervesrepair nerves
spellingShingle Tooba Wallana
Konstantinos Banitsas
Wamadeva Balachandran
Reviewing Breakthroughs and Limitations of Implantable and External Medical Device Treatments for Spinal Cord Injury
Applied Sciences
spinal cord injury
SCI
severed nerves
repair nerves
title Reviewing Breakthroughs and Limitations of Implantable and External Medical Device Treatments for Spinal Cord Injury
title_full Reviewing Breakthroughs and Limitations of Implantable and External Medical Device Treatments for Spinal Cord Injury
title_fullStr Reviewing Breakthroughs and Limitations of Implantable and External Medical Device Treatments for Spinal Cord Injury
title_full_unstemmed Reviewing Breakthroughs and Limitations of Implantable and External Medical Device Treatments for Spinal Cord Injury
title_short Reviewing Breakthroughs and Limitations of Implantable and External Medical Device Treatments for Spinal Cord Injury
title_sort reviewing breakthroughs and limitations of implantable and external medical device treatments for spinal cord injury
topic spinal cord injury
SCI
severed nerves
repair nerves
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/15/8488
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AT wamadevabalachandran reviewingbreakthroughsandlimitationsofimplantableandexternalmedicaldevicetreatmentsforspinalcordinjury