Hope through TECHNOLOGY VA, veterans test state-of-the-art equipment to ease symptoms associated with spinal cord injuries By Bryan Lett W hen an individual sustains a spinal cord injury (SCI), there is a litany of secondary medical conditions that can develop from the resulting immobility, further complicating the road to recovery. Some of those complications include low bone density and an increased risk of developing osteoporosis, poor bowel and bladder function, muscle atrophy, and an increase of fat tissue. An increase of fat tissue can bring with it all of the same health issues of obesity without the patient looking overweight. These conditions can open up an even wider web of health concerns, which makes a preventive approach a critical element of the treatment plan. Yet there is hope for the estimated 42,000 veterans who have sustained a SCI—and the solution looks straight out of science fiction. The Department of Veterans Affairs is studying powered exoskeleton technology, which recently became available as an alternative form of upright mobility to veterans with SCI, providing an external framework for support and computer-controlled motorized hip and knee joints to assist with walking. The study comes at an important time, as the VA is currently the largest health provider to individuals with SCI in the nation, and injuries to the spine are on the rise among post-9/11 veterans. According to a recent report, “Epidemiology of War-Related Spinal Cord Injury Among Combatants: A Systematic Review,” the frequency of spinal cord injuries of all war casualties was estimated to be 1.2% in the Korean War and 1% in both the Vietnam War and the 8 DAV MAGAZINE | MARCH/APRIL 2020
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Hope through TECHNOLOGY
Bryan Lett
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