Paraplegic told he would never walk again now goes half a mile thanks to shock spinal implants
David Mzee, 28, has regained control of muscles in his legs after having 16 electrodes placed on his damaged spinal cord
A PARAPLEGIC told he would never walk again can now go half a mile thanks to Bionic Man-style electronic spinal implants.
David Mzee, 28, was paralysed in a sports accident eight years ago.
But five months after a groundbreaking operation, he has regained control of all the muscles in his left leg and many in his right. David had 16 electrodes surgically placed at key points of his damaged spinal cord.
He was then asked to think about moving his legs while receiving short bursts of electrical stimulation — and that reactivated signals from the brain to his legs.
Swiss scientists have also developed a voice-activated watch he may be able to control it all with.
And the process also appears to repair nerve damage so patients may be able to walk even when the pulses are switched off.
David, of Zurich, said: “It’s an amazing feeling. Let’s see how far we can go with this technology.”
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Another patient in Switzerland and one in Holland have also benefited. Dutchman Gert-Jan Oskam — also told he would not walk again — joked he had been standing up to cook on his barbecue.
Professor Gregoire Courtine, of Lausanne University Hospital, said the procedure was developed after years of testing on animal models.
He added: “The exact timing and location of the electrical stimulation are crucial to a patient’s ability to produce a movement. It must be as precise as a Swiss watch.”
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