Spinal Cord Injury Site "Scar Tissue"

[alan]

My tissue hasn't stopped growing, and my condition keeps deteriorating. But, my little syrinxes remain stable, I'm told. So, I get to keep going nuts thanks to my crazy, indescribable sensation, and by striking, popping shoulder blades.

[annev308]

I had scar tissue removed from within the dura about 6 months ago. The (very small) syrinxes that had formed collapsed when the CSF flow was restored and I have had some good return of function/reduction of spasticity/normalization of sensation. I just have to find a way to keep these UTIs at bay, or at least asymptomatic, so that I can take advantage of the return in therapy.

[Barrington314mx]

I had scar tissue removed from within the dura about 6 months ago. The (very small) syrinxes that had formed collapsed when the CSF flow was restored and I have had some good return of function/reduction of spasticity/normalization of sensation. I just have to find a way to keep these UTIs at bay, or at least asymptomatic, so that I can take advantage of the return in therapy.

Could you tell us more about your injury previous to the scar tissue being removed? Thank you for sharing.

[ineedmyelin]

I had scar tissue removed from within the dura about 6 months ago. The (very small) syrinxes that had formed collapsed when the CSF flow was restored and I have had some good return of function/reduction of spasticity/normalization of sensation. I just have to find a way to keep these UTIs at bay, or at least asymptomatic, so that I can take advantage of the return in therapy.

where did you have the procedure, city, hospital?

[annev308]

The original injury was incomplete - a fracture and compression of the cord at T3 with blood visible within the dura. My spine was fused T2-5. I recovered slowly but steadily for about a year (regained bowel and bladder, was walking with a walker), had a short plateau with no improvement and then began deteriorating - my proprioception got wonkier, my sensation changed, nerve pain and spasticity both increased, I got weaker and my muscles became much less responsive. I started falling and losing continence. It was terrifying. In a matter of months, I went from being pretty much independent to needing max assist for most ADLs. I wasn't able to get an answer that made sense to me from the local doctor, and so I reached out to PTs I trusted as well as online and to the outpatient case manager at my original rehab.

I had the procedure at Craig in Denver. The surgeon (Dr. Falci) and his team were really great - they communicated and explained clearly and having them share information and explain the MRIs and sensory/motor test results so that I knew what was happening to my body was very helpful and comforting. I really appreciate how meticulous and realistic they are - informed consent is well and truly informed with them - how responsive they are and how proactive they have been with follow-up.

I hope this helps. Please feel free to ask anything I left out.

[Jim]

From what you said it sounds like you had untethering/removal of adhesions. The surgeon didn't actually open the dura and remove scar tissue from your injury site.

[annev308]

Oh crikey. I'm sorry I wasn't clear. He opened the dura and removed scar tissue around the cord within the dura between T1-6. The scarring was circumferential and blocking the flow of CSF. I had expansion duraplasty with allografts, 2 total and 2 partial laminectomies.

[cripwalk]

Not really sure about the best place to post this, but since this thread is about the glial scar, I think this new finding is relevant:

Spinal cord regeneration might actually be helped by glial scar tissue, contrary to conventional wisdom

UCLA research finds that nerve cells regrow better when glial scarring is left intact

http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/sp...ntional-wisdom

[Wise Young]

Oh crikey. I'm sorry I wasn't clear. He opened the dura and removed scar tissue around the cord within the dura between T1-6. The scarring was circumferential and blocking the flow of CSF. I had expansion duraplasty with allografts, 2 total and 2 partial laminectomies.

annev308, good description. The spinal cord has three membranes that surround it. The first is the pia on the surface of the spinal cord. The second is the arachnoid. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is contained between the pia and the arachnoid. The third is the dura mater, literally "hard mother". Adhesions occur between the pia mater and arachnoid, obstructing CSF flow. Usually, if the dura is intact, it will keep CSF from leaking out until the arachnoid repairs itself. While adhesions are called "scar", the term glail scar is usually reserved for tissues where glial cells (astrocytes) growing in injured brain and spinal cord facing fibroblasts or cells that make scar tissue with collagen. Astrocytes are from the central nervous system while fibroblasts are from outside the nervous system. The job of astrocytes is to wall off and keep foreign cells from entering the central nervous system. They form the barrier between central nervous tissues and blood vessels, called the blood brain barrier. Astrocytes form the central nervous system side of the pia mater, sometimes called the brain-pial barrier.

A duroplasty is when membrane is used to repair the dura. This may be done with membrane from muscle or other organs. If the membranes come from the same person, it is called an autograft. If the membranes come from a different person, it is called an allograph.

The lamina is the bone covering the back of the spinal cord. To expose the spinal cord from the back, a laminectomy is the usual approach. The term means to cut out (-ectomy) the lamina, ie. "lamina-ectomy". If a whole is made in the lamina (-otomy), it is called laminotomy. Likewise, durectomy means to cut out part of the dura and durotomy is to make an opening in the dura. A laminectomy is usually done to expose the spinal cord from the back. A total laminectomy refers to removing the lamina from one vertebral segment.

Wise.

[lunasicc42]

wise, it's very nice to see you on the board after so long...I am sure I speak for alot of carecurians when I say that I wish that you could come around to the forums more like you used to and interact and give insight, thats one thing that made carecure so great: you coming around and occasionaly other researchers

[invalid]

May I ask how all that stuff about fibroblasts, astrocytes, three membranes and lamina is linked to the axons regeneration? Lunasicc, do you feef more armed now in your battle with paralysis? What are you thankfull Wise for? Wise, dissolving scar tissue is not a problem, it is achivable ... inserting stem cells under three membranes or between them is not a problem too, it is doable ... getting muscle reinnervation remains illusive ... Wise, do you think lunassic has any reason to feel thankfull about your "cerebrospinal fluid"?

[invalid]

Well, adminz, where is my comment? What's wrong with it?

[Moe]

May I ask how all that stuff about fibroblasts, astrocytes, three membranes and lamina is linked to the axons regeneration? Lunasicc, do you feef more armed now in your battle with paralysis? What are you thankfull Wise for? Wise, dissolving scar tissue is not a problem, it is achivable ... inserting stem cells under three membranes or between them is not a problem too, it is doable ... getting muscle reinnervation remains illusive ... Wise, do you think lunassic has any reason to feel thankfull about your "cerebrospinal fluid"?

invalid, I'm curious of what you expected as a comment from your 1st post cuz to me it feels like you joined CC to bash Lunasicc and Dr. Wise with lack of respect. Also you suggest as pure facts what's doable and achievable to someone who I believe has a lot more experience and involved than you do.

Please give me your source of information base on your comments, or correct them if they're just your personal opinions:

- "Wise, dissolving scar tissue is not a problem, it is achivable ..." --how so?
- "inserting stem cells under three membranes or between them is not a problem too, it is doable ..." ---how?? what cells??
- "getting muscle reinnervation remains illusive ... again...??? if you're convinced of your 2 first comments, how does muscle reinnervation remains illusive??

I'd be thankful to you, for sharing your sources... Please introduce yourself since you're new here like who are you...? a SCI? a Scientist?...

[invalid]

Moe, I've posted comment about research done by, to my empression, trusty man, but it does not appear. Looks like this Forum corrupted and serves only as donation source for Wise; as you truly mentioned, I do not trust him and consider him a cheater ... Regarding scar tissue, you can find here posts of J.Silver, stem cells just by themselves have no any profit, functional restoration, reported by Wise, is reported only by Wise ...

[Moe]

Moe, I've posted comment about research done by, to my empression, trusty man, but it does not appear. Looks like this Forum corrupted and serves only as donation source for Wise; as you truly mentioned, I do not trust him and consider him a cheater ... Regarding scar tissue, you can find here posts of J.Silver, stem cells just by themselves have no any profit, functional restoration, reported by Wise, is reported only by Wise ...

Sorry you feel that way, I feel that Dr Silver, Dr. Wise and every other Researcher is discussed here equally. When I visited Rutgers University to attend their open house in July 2015 (also was my 5th anniversary as a c5-c6 quad), everybody seemed legit to me working their hearts out... very friendly and welcoming atmosphere... met Dr. Wise, his students, the Staff including Jim and his family (a fellow Quad who shares the dream) I really felt they take pride of what they do, Their lab is amazingly organized too.. you really got to go see it to believe it. I'm Canadian, drove 7 hours from Montreal to go see and was really worth it, cured the doubts in my mind and some of the virtual hostility from speculators I felt from the forum. Some info or details from research cannot be shared in a public forum to not hurt or spoil the research itself...