A spinal cord injury (SCI) is the damage to any part of the spinal cord or nerves at the end of the spinal canal (cauda equina), which often causes permanent changes in strength, sensation and other body functions below the site of the injury. SCI can cause the following signs and symptoms:

• Loss of movement
• Loss of or altered sensation, including the ability to feel heat, cold and touch
• Loss of bowel or bladder control
• Exaggerated reflex activities or spasms
• Changes in sexual function, sexual sensitivity and fertility
• Pain or an intense stinging sensation caused by damage to the nerve fibres in your spinal cord
• Difficulty breathing, coughing or clearing secretions from your lungs

Traumatic spinal injury is highly prevalent and has poor patient outcomes with a low recovery rate and a high disability rate. The SCI mouse model facilitates the research and development needed to dissect the injury and recovery mechanisms to enable therapeutic development.