Spine &
Neck Systems
Targeted neural stimulation, bionic structural support, and advanced implantable systems for people with spinal cord injury, cervical instability, and thoracic and lumbar conditions — restoring function where it was lost and supporting what remains.
Overview
Spinal cord injury and spinal pathology represent some of the most complex challenges in human medicine and engineering. The spinal cord is not just a conduit — it contains circuits capable of generating and modulating movement, and in many people with SCI, these circuits remain intact below the injury level. They simply lack the input signal from the brain. The fundamental insight driving Bionic Foundation's spine research is that these circuits can be reactivated — through precisely targeted electrical stimulation, through bionic systems that bypass the injury, and through rehabilitation protocols that leverage neuroplasticity.
We pursue this across three clinical domains: traumatic spinal cord injury, cervical instability and injury, and thoracic and lumbar degenerative conditions. Each requires distinct approaches, but all share the same foundational commitment: to restore function wherever it can be restored, and to support what the spine can no longer support on its own.
Spinal Cord Stimulation
Targeted Epidural Stimulation Protocol
Our signature spinal program: a targeted epidural stimulation protocol that delivers precisely modulated electrical current to lumbar and lumbosacral segments, reactivating dormant motor circuits. Five participants in our latest trial demonstrated voluntary leg movement — including two paralyzed for over a decade.
Closed-Loop Stimulation System
Development of a fully closed-loop epidural stimulation system that reads electromyographic signals from muscles and adjusts stimulation parameters in real time — enabling dynamic, activity-responsive treatment rather than fixed-program stimulation.
Epidural-Exoskeleton Integration
Research program combining our epidural stimulation protocol with the BF-EX3 exoskeleton, enabling patients to use their own reactivated circuits to control powered walking assistance — the closest current approximation of volitional gait after complete SCI.
Cervical & Structural Systems
Bionic Cervical Support System
An externally worn bionic cervical support system providing active stabilization for people with severe cervical instability from SCI, ALS, or degenerative conditions — using motorized, sensor-guided elements that move with the user rather than rigidly immobilizing the head.
Cervical Stimulation for Arm Function
Targeted stimulation of cervical spinal segments to restore voluntary arm and hand function in people with cervical spinal cord injury — addressing the single most common SCI level and one of the highest-priority restoration goals reported by SCI patients.
Thoracic Support Exoframe
A wearable exoframe providing dynamic structural support for people with severe thoracic or lumbar instability from degenerative disc disease, compression fracture, or scoliosis — augmenting spinal load-bearing without surgical fusion.
Clinical Research Partnership
Our spinal programs run in collaboration with SCI centers, neurosurgery departments, and rehabilitation hospitals. Contact us to discuss trial participation or clinical collaboration opportunities.
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