In a landmark advancement for spinal injury treatment, a team of Chinese researchers and surgeons has successfully performed a minimally invasive brain-spine interface (BSI) surgery on a paralyzed patient, enabling him to stand and walk within 24 hours post-operation. The procedure, conducted at Shanghai's Zhongshan Hospital in collaboration with Fudan University's Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, marks the world's first successful application of BSI technology to restore motor function in a patient with total paraplegia.
A 34-year-old patient surnamed Lin, who suffered complete lower-body paralysis after a spinal injury and brain hemorrhage in 2023, regained leg mobility one day after the surgery. Doctors implanted two millimeter-sized electrode chips into his brain's motor cortex during a four-hour operation. The chips bridge damaged neural pathways by decoding brain signals and transmitting targeted electrical impulses to spinal nerves, bypassing the injury site.
\"This isn't just technological proof—it's a life-changing breakthrough for patients,\" said Professor Jia Fumin, a lead researcher on the project. The team's proprietary algorithms, refined over three years, now enable real-time interpretation of movement intentions, addressing critical safety concerns like delayed response times that could risk patient falls.
The trial builds on three prior surgeries in early 2025, where patients with severe spinal injuries walked within two weeks. While initially focused on proof of concept, researchers aim to scale the technology globally, offering hope to millions affected by paralysis. Future iterations will prioritize reducing surgical complexity and improving affordability.
Healthcare analysts predict this innovation could revolutionize rehabilitation practices across Asia's rapidly growing medical technology sector. With spinal cord injuries affecting over 1 million people annually worldwide, the economic and social implications of scalable BSI solutions are vast.
