If your spinal cord is severed, then supposedly it carries no more signal to your limbs and is permanent, even after the spinal cord is surgically reconnected.

I suspect that, after being surgically reconnected, that there is still a signal, however minute. It just doesn't show up on tests.

To increase the signal, you add more spinal cord, thereby increasing the length and/or width. The more length and width theoretically equals more signal. Appearance is probably not as important in the patient's mind, as much as their quality of life, life span, and pain management.

To test this hypothesis, the extra spinal cord would have to be taken from people who have donated their bodies to science, and implanted into the patient with the spinal cord injury.

https://cdn.britannica.com/97/175597-050-BF89D789/Charles-Laughton-The-Hunchback-of-Notre-Dame.jpg.

4 minutes ago, Nvredward said:

If your spinal cord is severed, then supposedly it carries no more signal to your limbs and is permanent, even after the spinal cord is surgically reconnected.

I suspect that, after being surgically reconnected, that there is still a signal, however minute. It just doesn't show up on tests.

To increase the signal, you add more spinal cord, thereby increasing the length and/or width. The more length and width theoretically equals more signal. Appearance is probably not as important in the patient's mind, as much as their quality of life, life span, and pain management.

To test this hypothesis, the extra spinal cord would have to be taken from people who have donated their bodies to science, and implanted into the patient with the spinal cord injury.

https://cdn.britannica.com/97/175597-050-BF89D789/Charles-Laughton-The-Hunchback-of-Notre-Dame.jpg.

When the spinal cord is completely severed, current understanding in neuroscience tells us that communication between the brain and the limbs below the injury typically stops. This is because the nerve fibers that transmit electrical signals, called axons, are physically interrupted. In the central nervous system, which includes the brain and spinal cord, neurons do not naturally regenerate or reconnect the way nerves in other parts of the body can. The area of injury also forms scar tissue and releases chemical signals that discourage any attempts at regrowth. These biological obstacles are the main reason that traditional surgical reconnection of a severed spinal cord does not lead to restored function.

The suggestion that there might still be tiny signals crossing the injured area, even if undetectable with current technology, is interesting. Some researchers have proposed that faint electrical or biochemical activity might persist in ways we cannot yet measure. This is especially true in what are called incomplete spinal cord injuries, where some nerve fibers remain unbroken. In those cases, even minimal signal transmission can sometimes be enhanced through rehabilitation and neuromodulation techniques. While complete spinal cord injuries are thought to block all signal transmission, your idea invites us to keep an open mind. Scientific tools are improving every year, and what is undetectable today might be measurable in the near future.

Another point that was mentioned about increasing the signal by adding more spinal cord tissue is a little bit to imaginative. In theory, if additional nerve tissue could be added in such a way that it integrates with the patient’s existing neural network, it might help create new connections or pathways. However, this process is incredibly complex. The spinal cord is not like a wire where adding length or width makes the signal stronger. Instead, every axon must be precisely connected to the right target. The tissue must also be alive, capable of transmitting electrical impulses, and protected from the immune system, which tends to reject foreign neural tissue.

In the current state of science, using donated spinal cord tissue from deceased individuals is not yet a practical solution. The transplanted tissue would likely be rejected unless the patient is given strong immune suppressing drugs. Even if rejection could be prevented, the donated tissue would need to grow, connect, and function in a highly organized and very specific way. That level of neural integration has not yet been achieved in humans. Scientists are, however, working on alternatives. These include stem cell therapies, artificial scaffolds to guide nerve growth, electrical stimulation devices, and gene therapies that reduce the chemical barriers to regrowth.

P.S I enjoyed the meme 👍

37 minutes ago, Sohan Lalwani said:

However, this process is incredibly complex.

Might be able to do microscopic incisions that are designed to heal at 1-5% per each surgery. When they heal, the healing "bleeds through" to the previous severe sever. So, a spinal cord sever could take 20 or more surgeries to heal completely. If you wait too long after the accident, the lack of mobility and lack of the use of your spinal cord would slow down and then eventually halt the healing process. I'm not sure if a "bleeding through" strategy has ever been investigated.

This "bleed through" strategy may work for other problems, such as brain damage. Many possibilities.

Edited July 27Jul 27 by Nvredward

Moderator Note

As the topic is speculative, it has been moved to the speculations section. Please check out the guidelines for this section of the forum. It is also suggested to take a look at existing literature on this matter.

6 hours ago, Nvredward said:

Might be able to do microscopic incisions that are designed to heal at 1-5% per each surgery. When they heal, the healing "bleeds through" to the previous severe sever. So, a spinal cord sever could take 20 or more surgeries to heal completely. If you wait too long after the accident, the lack of mobility and lack of the use of your spinal cord would slow down and then eventually halt the healing process. I'm not sure if a "bleeding through" strategy has ever been investigated.

This "bleed through" strategy may work for other problems, such as brain damage. Many possibilities.

Biomaterials that bridge the severed area and guide axons to grow across. These are sometimes seeded with stem cells or growth-promoting molecules. 👍

Just a bridging idea that may be of help