Brian Carlin, Aspire Chief Executive and Honorary Associate Professor, Department of Orthopaedics & Musculoskeletal Science, University College London says:

"Aspire welcomes news of advances in research that can improve the lives of those who have been paralysed by a spinal cord injury.  We have been aware of clinical trials in epidural electrical stimulation to boost the neurological signals to areas below the damaged spinal cord.  We are excited to see the results of the recent STIMBO-BRIDGE study, co-led by Professor Grégoire Courtine, PhD and Neurosurgeon Jocelyne Bloch, MD and the advances of the technology to restore motor function to muscles below the level of injury.  Although this is encouraging news, we are aware that this controlled restoration of function is not yet being used in daily living activities, but it gives hope for a more promising future.

In the meantime, Aspire will continue to be there for the 50,000 spinally injured people in the UK, providing practical help to ensure they can live independent and fulfilled lives.”

Dr Rui Loureriro, Professor of Surgical & Rehabilitation Engineering and Head at UCL Institute of Orthopaedics and Musculoskeletal Science says: “The Swiss study is very promising and it is inspired (in part) by their work that we are progressing with our line of work in electrical stimulation at the Aspire Centre for Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive Technology, UCL.  Prof Courtine is probably one of the very few that has made the transition from animal models to humans more successfully.”

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