Restoring the motor function is a major goal for patients suffering from incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI), and associates with many factors, including the natural recovery and rehabilitation. The rehabilitation engineers are working to develop lower extremity exoskeleton robot that can assist gait training and recovery. Lower extremity exoskeleton robots used in walking ability reconstruction are becoming more advanced and sophisticated during the last decade. This review focuses on new application and technological progress which can be used to recover walking ability and evaluate the quality of movement after motor rehabilitation quantitatively by therapists.

Orthostatic hypotension(OH)is a fall blood pressure after an upright position.OH commonly occurs in persons with high level spinal cord injury(SCI),limiting exercise and rehabilitation.But to date,the reasons of OH following spinal cord injury are not very clear.It is reviewed in this article which mainly included:possible reasons of OH after spinal cord injury;typical symptoms,measurements and diagnoses;treatments and prevention.

Lower extremity exoskeleton system is a kind of human-machine robot, which combines the artificial intelligence with the power of mechanism. Recent years, the field of lower extremity exoskeleton robots have rapidly evolved and development of relevant technologies have dramatically increased these robots available for facilitating human walking function that could only be imagined a few years ago. Some technologies are so new that they lack the scientific evidence that would justify their use in the real setting. This paper presents an over view of design configurations, control methods and simulation test used for lower extremity exoskeleton robots. Further research efforts are required in order to incorporate many of the new technologies described in this review to promote the development of the lower extremity exoskeleton robots.

After spinal cord injury (SCI), the male reproductive functions are often seriously impaired, including dysfunction of erection, ejaculation, and abnormality of sperm qualities. With the advance of medicine, nowaday most men with SCI can finish erection, ejaculation and assisted reproduction. This article reviewed the reproductive dysfunctions in men with SCI, and discussed the relevant aspects.

Objective To investigate the effects of locomotor training on improving locomotor function after spinal cord injury(SCI)and the mechanism of spinal cord plasticity.Methods A model of complete thoracic cord transection was established using 84 adult female rats divided into sham,SCI and treadmill training(BWSTT) groups.The hind limb locomotor function of all the rats was evaluated.The fluorescence intensities due to (EphA4),vesicular glutamate transporter 2(VGluT2)and EphA4/VGluT2 double-positive neurons in the ventromedial area of the anterior horn of the lumbar COrd were detected using immunofluorescence double labeling and laser confocal microscopy.Results The rats in the BWSTT group showed better functional recovery in their hind limbs than those in the SCI group.BWSTT was correlated with markedly increased EphA4.VGIuT2 and EphA4/VGluT2 intensities in the ventromedial area.Conclusion BWSTT improves hind limb locomotor function in rats with thoracic cord transections by elevating the expression of EphA4/VGluT2,promoting neuronal plasticity in the lumbar anterior horn.

Objective To investigate the expression and clinical significance of lipoxin A4,leukotrienc C4,lipoxygenase-5 in peripheral blood of pregnant women with different types of severe preeclampsia.Methods Forty-five singleton pregnant women who accepted antenatal care and delivered in First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College were enrolled in this study from December 2010 to June 2011.All objects were divided into normal pregnancy group (n=20),early onset severe preeclampsia group (n=10) and late onset severe preeclampsia group (n=15).Enzymelinked immunosorbent assay was used to detect lipoxin A4 and leukotriene C4 levels in peripheral blood.The level of lipoxygenase-5 mRNA in white blood cells was detected by real time fluorescence quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.The differences of lipoxin A4,leukotriene C4 and lipoxygenase-5 mRNA among groups were compared by analysis of variance and LSD-t test;and correlations among their expressions were analyzed by linear regression.Results Lipoxin A4 level in early and late onset severe preeclampsia group was (355.3±116.0) pg/ml and (389.7±117.5) pg/ml,which were both significantly lower than that in normal pregnancy group [(555.0±139.8) pg/ml] (t=-4.03 and-3.77,P＜0.05 respectively).The leukotriene C4 level in early and lateonset severe preeclampsia and normal pregnaney group was (591.3±185.5) pg/ml,(510.3±197.1) pg/ml and (496.9 ± 158.8) pg/ml,no statistical difference were found (F=0.889,P＞0.05) ; neither did the expression of lipoxygenase 5 mRNA,which was 4.2± 1.9 in normal pregnancy group,4.8 ± 2.0 in early onset severe preeclampsia group and 4.4 ± 1.2 in late onset severe preeclampsia group (F=0.311,P＞0.05).There was no correlation among the levels of lipoxin A4,leukotriene C4 and lipoxygenase-5 mRNA in each group (P ＞ 0.05).Conclusions Early and remarkable decreasing of lipoxin A4 level might contribute to the development of early onset severe preeclampsia.

This article mainly introduced the basic strategy of rehabilitation of spinal cord injury,including maintaining and improving range of motor(ROM),enhancing the muscle strength,sitting and standing balance training,respiration training,application of splints and aids.The rehabilitation objectives and approaches of each level of spinal cord injuries were also involved.

The complications of spinal cord injury(SCI)affect not only the rehabilitation treatment,but also quality of the patients' living,even threaten to patients' life,including pressure sore,complications of urinary system and respiratory system,deep venous thrombosis,pulmonary embolism,spasm,pain,autonomic dysreflexia,osteoporosis,etc.The prevention and treatment of complications of SCI may be helpful to improve patients' health,and a premise of the rehabilitation.

Objective To investigate the effect of combination of baclofen, tizanidine and eperisone on moderate or severe spasticity after spinal cord injury. Methods 18 inpatients with moderate (n=2) or severe (n=16) spasticity after spinal cord injury were treated with combination of 2 or 3 kinds of drugs for 2 months, and followed up for at least 4 months with modified Ashworth scale (MAS). Their blood pressure, blood and urine routine, liver and kidney function were observed. Results Among the 16 cases of severe spasticity (MAS≥3), MAS reduced 3 grades in 3 cases, 2 grades in 12 cases, 1 grade in 1 case, with alleviation of phantom pain. For the cases of moderate spasticity (MAS=2), the MAS reduced 1 grade with alleviation of phantom pain. Slightly drowsiness was observed in 2 cases. No hepatic or renal dysfunctions was found. Conclusion Combination of baclofen, tizanidine and eperisone is effective on moderate or severe spasticity after spinal cord injury with limited side-effects.

Study design Survey of expert opinion, feedback and final consensus. Objective To describe the development and the variables included in the International Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Spinal Interventions and Surgical Procedures Basic Data set. Setting International working group. Methods A committee of experts was established to select and define data elements. The data set was then disseminated to the appropriate committees and organizations for comments. All suggested revisions were considered and both the International Spinal Cord Society and the American Spinal Injury Association endorsed the final version. Results The data set consists of nine variables: (1) Intervention/ Procedure Date and start time (2) Non-surgical bed rest and external immobilization, (3) Spinal intervention-closed manipulation and/or reduction of spinal elements, (4) Surgical procedure-approach, (5) Date and time of the completion of the intervention or surgical closure; (6) Surgical procedure-open reduction, (7) Surgical procedure-direct decompression of neural elements, and (8 and 9) Surgical procedure- stabilization and fusion (spinal segment number and level). All variables are coded using numbers or characters. Each spinal intervention and procedure is coded (variables 1 through 7) and the spinal segment level is described (variables 8 and 9). Sample clinical cases were developed to illustrate how to complete it. Conclusion The International SCI Spinal Interventions and Surgical Procedures Basic Data Set was developed to facilitate comparisons of spinal interventions and surgical procedures among studies, centers and countries.