One of the most devastating injuries that an individual can be impacted by in a San Diego car accident is paralysis of the spinal cord. Paralysis typically involves neural pathways that have been damaged, ultimately blocking communication between limb movement and the impacted person’s brain. Scientists are now focused on a device that can help to promote communication by avoiding these damaged pathways.

Currently, this research project is happening next year at an Australian hospital and human subjects will be the first to try it out. During the process, the bionic spine will be put into a patient’s brain. The device sits at the top of the motor cortex. The signals coming from that cortex, which are typically blocked in the case of paralysis, are absorbed and noted by electrodes that have been embedded in the bionic device. These electrodes then pass the signals to another smaller device located on the shoulder which provides commands to the impacted limbs telling them how to move. It is important for individuals who have suffered a damaged spinal cord to understand that despite the fact that this is a revolutionary new technology that could significantly make their lives better, it does not repair any neural damage that has already happened. Instead, the signals used by this device bypass a damaged area and instead provide a detour for communication between the brain and any paralyzed body parts.

If you have been seriously injured in a car accident with a spinal cord injury as one of the outcomes, it is likely that you are suffering serious medical problems as a result. Hopefully, research like this will make it easier for spinal cord injury victims after San Diego car accidents to recover more effectively and regain better use of their mobility.