Improvement by the Omentum on Spinal Cord Injuries

Harry S Goldsmith

Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, USA

^*Correspondance to: Harry S Goldsmith 

 PDF  Full Text DOI: 10.25107/2474-1647.2039

Abstract

Background: In the late 1800's, Ramon y Cajal, Father of Neuropathology, stated that the reason patients who suffered a Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) do not improve is that a scar develops at the site of the SCI which prevents axons from penetrating through the scar barrier. The aim of the study was to learn if a scar could be prevented in an acute SCI and if the scar could be surgically removed in a chronic SCI, followed by reconstruction of the spinal cord, which could lead to functional improvement following the injury.Methods: When a piece of spinal cord was surgically removed in cats, followed by reconstruction of the spinal cord, the spinal cord defect was filled with collagen and an intact vascularized omentum was placed on the underlying collagen connection. This procedure proved successful. This procedure was also successful in a patient who underwent excision of 1.6" of her spinal cord with the patient’s subsequent ability to walk, a consequence confirmed by video.Results: A piece of a spinal cord was removed in cats followed by subsequent functional improvement. It was found that when a section of the spinal cord in animals was surgically excised with reconstruction of the spinal cord, the operation was successfully performed followed by functional success.Conclusion: It appears that in an acute spinal cord injury, a scar can be prevented. In a chronic spinal cord injury, it may be possible in the future for a chronic spinal cord scar to be removed with expectation of functional improvement.

Keywords

Spinal cord injury; Fibrinogen; Omentum; VEGF

Cite the article

Goldsmith HS. Improvement by the Omentum on Spinal Cord Injuries. Clin Surg. 2018; 3: 2039.