A spinal cord injury (SCI) is the damage to any part of the spinal cord or nervous 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 fibers in your spinal cord
- Difficulty breathing, coughing or clearing secretions from your lungs
SCI has always played an essential role in the field of traumatic spinal diseases because of its high incidence, high disability rate, and low recovery rate. Because there is no cure for SCI, SCI models are important in identifying injury mechanisms and developing therapies for individuals suffering from SCI. The mouse crash-complete transection SCI models has good simulation, high feasibility, and high reproducibility, making it a useful tool for pre-clinical testing of SCI treatments.