Summary
| Diagnosis | Sex | Age | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spinal Cord Injury | Male | 48 years | Australian |
| Injections | Cell type | Admission date | Discharge date |
| 6 | UCBSC + UCMSC | 2018-07-23 | 2018-08-16 |
Medical history
The patient was diagnosed with spinal cord injury in 2016 from lifting heavy objects (over 15-20 kg). He had severe lower back pain that caused pain in both legs as well. In may 2016, an MRI scan test result revealed severe central canal and neuroforaminal stenosis at the L4-L5 level due to broad-based disc bulge. As a result, the patient had a laminectomy surgery in L3-L5 and a microdiscectomy surgery in L4-L5 as well as a postoperative rehabilitation program for pain relief.
Condition On Admission
The patient had numbness in both legs with the left leg being more affected. There was muscle weakness in the left leg as well. Dynamic standing balance was rated as fair, muscle endurance was low and there was partial bowel and bladder function impairment. The patient was able to engage in all daily activities, independently.
Treatment Schedule
The patient received 3 umbilical cord blood-derived stem cell (UCBSC) packets and 3 umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell (UCMSC) packets by intravenous (IV) and intrathecal injections, as per the schedule below:
| Number | Date | Cell Type | Delivery Method | Side Effects |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2018-07-27 | UCMSC | Intravenous Injection | none reported |
| 2 | 2018-07-31 | UCMSC | Intrathecal Injection | none reported |
| 3 | 2018-08-03 | UCMSC | Intrathecal Injection | none reported |
| 4 | 2018-08-06 | UCBSC | Intrathecal Injection | none reported |
| 5 | 2018-08-10 | UCBSC | Intrathecal Injection | none reported |
| 6 | 2018-08-14 | UCBSC | Intravenous Injection | none reported |
Condition at discharge
At the end of the 3 weeks therapeutic program, the patient has shown some improvement in sensation, muscle endurance and dynamic standing balance as follows: The patient has informed us that he has more feeling in his left leg and his right leg feels now normal. Endurance has slightly improved as he is now capable of walking on the treadmill for 15 minutes with a speed up to 5.5 (compared to less than 10 minutes at a slower speed earlier). Dynamic standing balance went from fair/good, to good/normal. By the end of the program the patient could perform one leg standing for 1 minute without support in aquatic therapy.
Condition 12 months after treatment
At the 12 month follow up point the patient reported that he still had numbness in a small area behind the left leg with a little pain but he was feeling better than before the treatment. He rated his improvement in quality of life as moderate. Please see an excerpt from the patient’s 12 month own assessment below:
| Symptom | Assessment of Improvement |
| Bladder control | Moderate improvement |
| Bowel control | Moderate improvement |
| Control of body temperature | Significant improvement |
| Fatigue | Significant improvement |
| Fine motor control | Moderate improvement |
| Lower limb muscle tone | Significant improvement |
| Lower limb sensation | Moderate improvement |
| Lower limb strength | Moderate improvement |
| Pain | Moderate improvement |
| Sexual Function | Moderate improvement |
| Skin Condition | Significant improvement |
| Sweating | Significant improvement |
| Trunk muscle strength | Moderate improvement |
| Trunk muscle tone | Significant improvement |
| Trunk sensation | Moderate improvement |
| Upper limb muscle tone | Significant improvement |
| Upper limb sensation | Significant improvement |
| Upper limb strength | Moderate improvement |