Paraplegia quite challenging at first for those with a spinal cord injury (SCI). With the aid of physiotherapists and occupational therapists, individuals with an SCI can learn new skills and adapt previous ones to maximize independence, often living independently within the community. Olfactory ensheathing cells (OEC) have been transplanted with success into the spinal cord of Polish man named Darek Fidyka, who was the victim of a knife attack that left him paraplegic in 2010. In 2014, Fidyka underwent pioneering spinal surgery that used nerve grafts, from his ankle, to 'bridge the gap' in his severed spinal cord and OEC's to
Spinal cord injury research humans with severed spinal cords. People have recovered sensation, use of formerly paralysed muscles, and bladder and bowel function after the surgeries, eg Darek Fidyka. Japanese researchers in 2006 discovered that adding certain transcription factors to cells caused them to be able to differentiate again. This way a patient's own tissues could be used, reducing the chance of transplant rejection. Recent approaches have used various engineering techniques to improve spinal cord injury repair. Use of biomaterials is an engineering approach to SCI treatment that can be combined with stem cell transplantation. They can help deliver cells to the injured area