Novel strategies in brachial plexus repair after traumatic avulsion.
Clinical trials in spinal cord injury (SCI) can be affected by many confounding variables including spontaneous recovery, variation in the lesion type and extend. However, the clinical need and the paucity of effective therapies has spawned a large number of animal studies and clinical trials for SCI. In this review, we suggest that brachial plexus avulsion injury, a longitudinal spinal cord lesion, is a simpler model to test methods of spinal cord repair. We explore reconstructive techniques currently explored for the repair of brachial plexus avulsion and focus on the use of olfactory ensheathing cell transplantation as an adjunct treatment in brachial plexus repair.
Kachramanoglou
Carolina
C
Spinal Repair Unit, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, WC1N 3BG, UK. kacaz25@hotmail.com
Li
Daqing
D
Andrews
Peter
P
East
Charles
C
Carlstedt
Thomas
T
Raisman
Geoffrey
G
Choi
David
D
D000818:Animals; D001917:Brachial Plexus / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery; D017690:Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016067:Nerve Transfer / Q000379:methods; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D009830:Olfactory Bulb / Q000166:cytology; D009831:Olfactory Mucosa / Q000166:cytology; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology*; D012092:Replantation / Q000379:methods; D012421:Rupture / Q000601:surgery; D058630:Spinal Cord Regeneration