Giving patients with paralysis a way to move again
Patient lifting their leg
20 out of 20 patients saw significant effects after receiving a spinal cord implant — one woman even began moving her legs again after 23 years. Results are from a clinical trial from the University of Minnesota Medical School that includes BME Prof. Tay Netoff.

June 10, 2023 — BME Professor Tay Netoff is part of a research team testing an implant that stimulates movement in paralyzed patients—a breakthrough offering incredible new hope for patients and their families. The success of the device in clinical trials was covered in a recent story on the front page of the Star Tribune and in an evening news broadcast from KARE-11, the local NBC affiliate. 

The implant being tested by a team at Hennepin County Medical Center with Prof. Netoff is a stimulator that is already widely used for pain management. But it could be a first-of-its-kind breakthrough for patients with paraplegia if the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves it to restore function after spinal cord injuries. 

In the Star Tribune article, the study’s lead investigator and University of Minnesota Department of Neurosurgery Assistant Professor Dr. David Darrow explained that most people with severe spinal cord injuries only have a fraction of their nerve fibers still capable of sending signals from the brain to lower limbs. He added:

"Clinically we don't see any movement, we don't see any function at all. When we turn on the stimulation on the bottom of the spinal cord, it's actually changing how receptive it is to those remaining fibers. … We're just revving up the spinal cord so it's better able to receive."

The article follows paralysis patient Crystal LaBo who was injured in a car accident 23 years ago. She had the stimulator implanted in March and the device has allowed her to lift her legs and bend her ankles — limbs that were immobile since the accident. 

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