I have a friend who 3weeks ago had a serious mountain bike accident & suffered a broken back at T2/T3. The spinal cord is not severed, but he immediately went numb from the nipple line down. He had an operation 2days later to repair the damage in the back & has so far been told he can expect anything from 10%-90% chance of recovery. He still has no feeling below the nipple line. Can anyone offer any thoughts whatsoever whether there is any chance of getting feeling back & what length of time do we have to wait before we have to accept none will return.

Hi Jackie, and welcome to the forum. Sorry to hear about your friend.

It takes about six-to-eight weeks for the swelling to go down in the spinal cord. For me, that period of time was when I had most of my sensory and motor function return. I've had some since then, but very little. There are others here with similar injuries that have had steady progress up to one year. Spinal Cord Injuries are as unique as we are - you just have to wait and see (hope for the best and plan for the worst).

I'm one year post injury and my neurosurgeon doesn't expect I'll improve any more. Of course, he also told me I'd never walk again and is amazed that I can.

The important thing is not having damage to the spinal cord,I broke my back a month before I broke my neck,(you think I would've learned the first time.)It hurt and I had to wear a brace,But I could walk Now the Dr at Hershey Med Center,in Pa told me,when I broke my neck that if my spinal cord would'nt have been damaged,It would been a long recovery but I would've probaly walked again

I think SCI's are the only injuries they would give you statistics lie that for. 10% to 90% chance of recovery. So what are you realy trying to say doc, that you have no clue?

Sorry to hear about your friend and as vague as those stats seem, they're prob right, you never know with a SCI. My spinal cord wasn't severed either, it wasn't even nicked; it was bruised and I'm still in a chair after many years, but I've seen people with worse injuries than mne recover a great deal.

Thanks for the replies..It does appear to be in the lap of the Gods. Hearing about experiences like 'kwag_myers' helps. The enormity & the consequences of what has happened keep washing over me in waves, goodness knows how he's feeling. But I shall just keep hoping for the best. Once again thanks.

Fortunately attitude plays a large part in the recovery process too.
If he stays depressed in bed there's a good chance his recovery will be arduous and slow, but with the right attitude it definately makes a difference as to how much more quickly things progress.

Agree to that.

Your friend needs to make recovery his job and lifetime habit. I'd be looking for an exercise-based recovery center, a good nutritionist, home gym equipment, trainers, etc etc etc. Hospital rehab is not enough and, depending which program your at, a supplement at best.

I don't know of anyone who has recovered 100% of their former ability. It's probably as hard to read and accept that as it is to have to write it. I do, however, know people who have made profound recovery's none-the-less. Every little strength he gets back makes life that much easier. I've worked my way up to walking very short distances and standing with a walker, a far cry from my better days. That alone is saving measurable wear and tear on my shoulders as I age and to me - worth the 1000's of hours of input it's taken to get here

Encourage him to log on and take a part in online SCI communities and forums like this one, there's a wealth of collective information to take in.

good luck -

Laughter is the best medicine. No, that's not just a stupid Reader's Digest section. It's true. If you don't laugh, you'll cry. Life is a big joke.

I had a T2-T3 hematoma of unknown cause detected in March 2006. The neurologist advised that it would go away by itself. Instead, I gradually began to lose function until I found myself paralyzed with no motor or sensory function on May 23rd of that year. Emergency surgery to remove the clot was followed by 2 months in rehab. I got back sensory function and some motor function during those 2 months during which I had intense physio and occupational therapy. I was released on a wheel chair at the end of July 2006. I continued with intense physiotherapy from July to December but improvement was slow. An MRI at the end of December 2006 showed that a "tethering" of the spinal cord which meant that the cord had attached itself to the neural canal with scar tissue. I underwent a second surgery in Feb 2007 to remove the tethering. I resumed intense physio and over the rest of 2007 and until the present time, slowly graduated from the wheel chair to a walker and then to crutches. I now (Oct 2008) walk with one crutch with a brace on my right foot to alleviate foot drop. I am still not normal as spasticty inhibits movement and my balance is unsteady without support. I exercise at least 3 hours a day - stretches, trainer and treadmill. I walk an average of 3 miles a day and have walked a total of 500 miles in 2008 alone. I find treadmill walking has been of great help. My doctor says that healing in the cord is a very slow process that can take up to 5 years. As some of the posts so far have indicated, every case is unique and your friend has to work hard and keep a positive attitude. There are good days and bad days. My bladder and bowel control is now much better and I am venturing out with friends. The spasticity is the worst feeling especially in the groin and abdomen. It is as if there is a python coiled around you. Nevertheless, keep the faith and don't believe anyone who says your friend will not walk again - it is up to him to disprove them. Bottom line recovery takes anywhere from 1-5 years with most of it coming in the first 18 months if it does. Otherwise chances are slim but not out of the question.

I had a motorcycle wreck in Sept of last year. Broke my neck C8/T1 incomplete. Paralyzed from the nipples down. I had no feeling from the nipples down, either. Came home on Dec 7 last year. Today, I have some kind of sensation in most of my lower body, I can move the toes on my right foot, have gotten a lot stronger and can now tell when I need to go to the bathroom. Don't have any control, but I can tell. My spinal cord wasn't severed, just swollen. It can take a year for the swelling to start going down. Your mileage may vary. Tell your friend that the attitude that he decides to take will mean a lot towards his recovery. You always have good days and bad days, but overall outlook plays a huge part in it. After he gets out of the hospital he needs to continue physical therapy to keep sending signals to his legs. You can help by being there when he needs you, but by also making him learn to do stuff for himself. It's a balancing act, but it will help make him stronger. Hope this helps.

Have a look at

Standing Start in the UK http://www.standingstart.org/index.html

or

Project walk in the US http://www.projectwalk.org/

Might eb able to help

Peter