A bionic suit created using technology that combines a noninvasive spinal stimulation technique with a battery-powered suit has helped a paralyzed athlete walk for the first time in 4 years, according to Medical News Today.
Mark Pollock, 39, was paralyzed 4 years ago after falling out of a window. As an athlete who raced to the South Pole prior to his injury, he is excited to be able to do aerobic workouts again.
"Stepping with the stimulation and having my heart rate increase, along with the awareness of my legs under me, was addictive," he said. "I wanted more."
Prof. V. Reggie Edgerton, a senior author and professor of integrative biology and physiology at UCLA, developed the spinal stimulation technique with a team of scientists, according to the International Business Times.
"Stimulation improved the coordination patterns of the lower limb muscles resulting in a more continuous, smooth stepping motion in the exoskeleton," the team said. "These stepping sessions in the presence of stimulation were accompanied by greater cardiac responses and sweating than could be attained without the stimulation. Based on the data from this case study, it appears that there is considerable potential for positive synergistic effects after complete paralysis by combining the overground stepping in an exoskeleton."
The suit is battery-operated and manufactured by a California-based company called Ekso Bionics, according to Medical Daily. Although Pollock is the first paralyzed many to use it, it opens up a whole realm of potential for those suffering from complete paralysis.
"For people who are severely injured but not completely paralyzed, there's every reason to believe that they will have the opportunity to use these types of interventions to further improve their level of function," said Edgerton. "They're likely to improve even more. We need to expand the clinical toolbox available for people with spinal cord injury and other diseases."
