When Liu Boqi, a 35-year-old former traffic police officer, regained movement in his fingers just hours after experimental spinal surgery, it marked a watershed moment in paralysis treatment. Liu suffered complete quadriplegia after a 2024 car accident that fractured his C3 vertebra – an injury with less than 10% survival rate, according to Dr. Wu Minfei of Jilin University's Second Norman Bethune Hospital.
‘His military discipline became his advantage,’ Wu told Health Talk, describing how Liu’s physical resilience enabled him to survive initial stabilization surgery. When conventional rehabilitation showed limited progress, Wu’s team implanted a proprietary cervical cord electrode – a decision Liu’s family supported despite the risks.
The results defied expectations. Within six hours, Liu twitched his right fingers. Today, combining targeted mobility training with robotic exoskeleton technology, he walks again. ‘This isn’t just about regaining movement – it’s reclaiming life,’ Liu said during rehabilitation sessions.
His success has inspired others like Zhao Yanchun, who underwent similar treatment after reading about Liu’s recovery. Both patients describe themselves as ‘trailblazers’ in spinal cord-computer interface applications – a field gaining global attention after this Chinese medical breakthrough.
While researchers caution that widespread clinical application requires further study, the implications are profound. Over 27 million people worldwide live with paralysis from spinal injuries, according to WHO estimates. As Wu notes: ‘We’re not just treating injuries – we’re rewriting neurological recovery paradigms.’
