Spinal cord personal injuries are some of the most devastating personal injuries that can occur in a car accident. New research finds that MRI scans which are typically used to guide surgeries in spinal cord injury patients, can also be used to make better assessments of a patient’s potential recovery.
A spinal cord injury occurs when there is a jolt or a blow to the spinal cord resulting in injury to the cord itself. The consequences are often catastrophic. Patients may be left with partial or complete paralysis, and may be unable to walk or use their limbs effectively. Rehabilitation may be a slow process. Often, MRI scans are used during treatment in order to guide surgical options as well as assess the amount of damage. However, researchers recently found that they could very accurately predict recovery for spinal cord injury patients using these same MRI scans. They found that information from MRI scans helped to predict the recovery potential for patients based on the tissue remaining around the affected area. The greater the amount of tissue left, the higher the chances of recovery.
According to the researchers, these are very important findings because they show that MRI scans can be used to guide and inform rehabilitation and therapy options after a spinal cord personal injury. They can help doctors provide better counseling to patients about their lives after spinal cord injury, and how they can expect their lives to change after the injury.
It can be difficult to predict recovery after a spinal injury. However, when there is a substantial amount of tissue that continues to transmit signals from the spine to the brain, recovery can be expected to be quicker. Scans can help determine this accurately.
The results of these MRI scans, the researchers believe, can also be used to group patients in clinical trials based on expected outcomes. The researchers believe that such grouping can increase the effectiveness and efficiency of clinical trials. What’s more, since these scans are currently being used in the treatment of spinal cord patients, the researchers believe that it would be very easy for hospitals and professionals treating spinal injury to access the benefits of tissue analyses using these scans.
Life after a spinal cord injury can mean extensive hospitalization, surgeries, physical therapy and rehabilitation, modification to the patient’s home and vehicle, and other aids to help facilitate some degree of normality after the injury. It is very important to account for all of these expenses in any claim after you have suffered a spinal injury.
The Atlanta auto accident lawyers at Katz Personal Injury Lawyers are dedicated to the representation of persons who have suffered injuries in auto accidents in the metro Atlanta region and across the state of Georgia. If you have suffered injuries in a car accident, talk to an attorney at our firm and discuss your legal options for a claim for damages. You may qualify for damages that include medical costs, lost income and other types of compensation. Talk to an attorney at our firm and discuss your case. Initial consultations are free.