Turkish Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 2006 , Vol 52 , Num 2

Spinal Cord Injury and Stem Cell Therapy

Şafak Şahir Karamehmetoğlu 1
1 İstanbul Üniversitesi Cerrahpaşa Tıp Fakültesi, Fiziksel Tıp ve Rehabilitasyon Anabilim Dalı, İstanbul, Türkiye

The application of stem cells in spinal cord injury has been an area of  increasing interest especially for the last ten years. On one hand, there have been a lot of hopeful improvements, on the other hand, a lot of  serious problem have arisen. It remains to be elucidated in which conditions and which state stem cells should be applied. We need a lot of scientific studies to be done before attempting to the use of stem cells in humans for spinal cord injury. Rehabilitation need not to be neglected  because whatever would be the cure of spinal cord injury in the future, it will be useful for patients with muscles, joints, bladder, bowel in good condition. 

Keywords : Spinal cord injury, stem cell, regeneratio