Rebuilding the spinal cord: Can technology restart paralyzed lives?

On Christmas Eve, 2024, while on duty, traffic police officer Liu Boqi suffered a severe car accident that resulted in a fractured and dislocated cervical spine, along with complete spinal cord injury. He lost all feeling and movement from the neck down. Such a catastrophic level of injury typically leads to one of two outcomes: instant death or a lifetime of complete paralysis. However, six months after his injury, with the help of medical professionals, Liu stood up again and, assisted by an exoskeleton, was able to take his first tentative steps since the fateful crash. 

It would not have been possible without the groundbreaking medical technology that continues to support Liu's hitherto unthinkable rehabilitation.

Standing by Liu throughout his miraculous recovery is Wu Minfei, vice dean of the Second Norman Bethune Hospital of Jilin University and an expert in spinal surgery. When Liu was admitted to the hospital, doctors put his chances of survival at near zero. The medical team opted for a cautious and experimental procedure, which Liu survived to the astonishment of all, marking the first miracle in his journey. It was later thought that the robust physique he had built during his military service had boosted his chances.

A month after the injury, Wu Minfei operated again on his patient, performing a groundbreaking spinal repair technique called spinal cord interface surgery that enables paraplegic patients to regain partial function in their paralyzed limbs. By creating a "digital bridge" between the brain and spinal cord with the use of brain-machine interface technology, this technique holds limitless potential for the future. Just six hours after surgery, Liu experienced slight movements in his paralyzed fingers, a sign of improvement far exceeding doctors' expectations. It was the second miracle in his improbable recovery.

Now, after a series of rehabilitation training sessions, aided by a futuristic mechanical exoskeleton, Liu has regained the ability to stand on his own. He has also seen the strength return to his muscles surprisingly fast, the third miracle in his recovery journey.

Liu Boqi has become a living, walking embodiment of hope for other patients with similar spinal cord injuries, who are now planning to undergo the same procedure. Can this cutting-edge technology repeat the miracle for other paralyzed patients?

CGTN's "Health Talk" features an in-depth report on Liu Boqi's groundbreaking treatment and its global significance for the medical field.

Executive producer: Zhang Jingwen

Producer: Yang Sha

Director: Chen Chen

Video editor: Bian Yuan, Chen Chen

Videographer: Zhang Xuguang, Yuan Yuxiang