Current advancements in the management of spinal cord injury: A comprehensive review of literature

BACKGROUND: Spinal cord injury (SCI) carries debilitating lifelong consequences and, therefore, requires careful review of different treatment strategies. METHODS: An extensive review of the English literature (PubMed 1990 and 2019) was performed regarding recent advances in the treatment of SCI; this included 46 articles written over 28 years. RESULTS: Results of this search were divided into five major modalities; neuroprotective and neuroregenerative pharmaceuticals, neuromodulation, stem cell-based therapies, and various external prosthetic devices. Lately, therapeutic strategies were mainly focused on two major areas: neuroregeneration and neuroprotection. CONCLUSION: Despite recent advancements, more clinical trials on a larger scale and further research are needed to provide better treatment modalities of this devastating neurological disease.