University of Chicago surgeons reattach toddler’s severed spinal cord
Image credit: acoolrocket via Unsplash
A multidisciplinary surgical team at UChicago Medicine successfully reattached the severed spinal cord of a 2-year-old child injured in a car accident while on vacation with his family. Led by Mohamad Bydon, MD, Chair of Neurological Surgery, the child’s injury was so severe that survival alone was extraordinary and nothing like it has ever been reported in neurosurgery or spinal cord injuries. The child, who was not expected to regain movement, is now showing motion in all four limbs, a remarkable outcome in spinal cord injury recovery. The family plans to return to Chicago in spring 2026, when Dr. Bydon may use novel stem cell therapy clinical trials, pending FDA approval, to further support the child’s physical function.
Source
Bydon, M., Qu, W., Moinuddin, F.M. et al. Intrathecal delivery of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells in traumatic spinal cord injury: Phase I trial. Nat Commun 15, 2201 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-46259-y
Additional Reading
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/uchicago-medicine-doctor-toddler-catastrophic-spinal-injury/
https://people.com/2-year-old-hit-by-truck-head-separated-from-spine-exclusive-11826239