Clinical Research Directory

Risk Factors for Spinal Cord Injury After Minimally Invasive Aortic Repair

This study aims to identify factors linked to spinal cord injury after aortic repair. The aorta is the body's main artery. The repairs studied use a fabric-covered tube, called a stent graft, placed inside the aorta. Sometimes, blood flow to the spinal cord is reduced after these procedures. This is called spinal cord ischemia and can cause leg weakness or loss of feeling. Researchers will review existing medical records and scans from adults aged 18 or older. They will compare patients who developed spinal cord ischemia with those who did not. They will examine patients' health, repair details, blood pressure during the procedure, medicines used, and blood vessels supplying the spinal cord. The study will also describe when this complication develops, how it is treated, and how patients recover. It will assess survival and time spent in hospital. The findings may help identify patients at greater risk and inform future prevention strategies. This study uses information collected during routine care. Patients will not need additional tests, scans, treatments, or visits.

SPIRIT: Study of the Patency of Spinal aRteries After the STABILISE Technique

The aim of the study is to evaluate the impact of the stent-assisted balloon-induced intimal disruption and relamination in aortic dissection repair (STABILISE) technique in the patency of intercostal and lumbar arteries detectable on computed tomography angiography (CTA) in patients with type B aortic dissection and its correlation with the occurrence of spinal cord ischaemia (SCI). Primary end-point: patency of the intercostal and lumbar arteries on follow-up CTA. Secondary end-point: spinal cord ischaemia

Stem Cell Spinal Cord Injury Exoskeleton and Virtual Reality Treatment Study

The SciExVR study will evaluate the potential benefit of autologous bone marrow derived stem cells (BMSC) in the treatment of spinal cord injury with evidence of impaired motor or sensory function. The treatment consists of bilateral paraspinal injections of the BMSC at the level of the injury as well as superior and inferior to that spinal segment followed by an intravenous injection and intranasal placement. Patients undergoing BMSC treatment may also be assigned to use of exoskeletal movement (or equivalent) or virtual reality visualization (or equivalent) to augment upper motor neuron firing and/or receptivity of the sensory neurons. http://mdstemcells.com/sciexvr/