Abstract

There are now numerous preclinical reports of various experimental treatments promoting some functional recovery after spinal cord injury. Surprisingly, perhaps, the mechanisms that underlie recovery have rarely been definitively established. Here, we critically evaluate the evidence that regeneration of damaged pathways or compensatory collateral sprouting can promote recovery. We also discuss several more speculative mechanisms that might putatively explain or confound some of the reported outcomes of experimental interventions.

Author affiliations

1. Elizabeth J. Bradbury is at the Neurorestoration Group, Wolfson Wing, Hodgkin Building, Guy's Campus, King's College London, London Bridge, London SE1 1UL, UK.
2. Stephen B. McMahon is at the Neurorestoration Group and the London Pain Consortium, Wolfson Wing, Hodgkin Building, Guy's Campus, King's College London, London Bridge, London SE1 1UL, UK.

Correspondence to: Stephen B. McMahon² Email: stephen.mcmahon@kcl.ac.uk

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