Spinal cord injury with neurological deficits is devastating to patients and
their families. After the immediate treatment that may involve spinal decompression
and stabilization surgeries, patients are typically left with long-term disability. Intense
research has focused on spinal cord regeneration, tissue repair, and reinnervation to
improve function. Stem cell-based therapies are at the center of this effort. This chapter
summarizes common spinal cord injury (SCI) patterns, including complete and
incomplete SCIs, and their classification-based prognosis and treatments. They review
the types of stem cells used in preclinical and clinical trials in the treatment of SCI and
the associated ethical concerns and summarize the current state of the art of stem cellbased SCI treatments.
Keywords: Classification, Prognosis, Spinal cord injury, Stem cells, Treatment.
