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IN THE NEWS Summer Poses Increased Risk for Spinal Cord Injuries
 The summer months are some of the busiest months for spinal cord injuries, warn leading doctors at The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, a Center of Excellence at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. As we head into Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start of summer, doctors and researchers say that safety precautions are the best measures to prevent spinal cord injury (SCI) during the high-risk months of summer and year round.
According to the Spinal Cord Injury Information Network, there are more than 13,000 spinal cord injuries reported each year, with an increase in cases occurring during the summer months. Doctors at The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis say that this timeframe has the largest numbers of spinal cord injury cases reported due to increased participation in recreational activities and trips in motor vehicles, which make up nearly 50 percent of SCI cases annually. “Vacation and outdoor activities increase the incidence of spinal cord injuries in summer,” said Dr. Barth Green, an internationally recognized expert in the field of spinal cord injury and Co-Founder of The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis. “While summertime tends to have higher incidence of SCI, we urge everyone to take caution while swimming and diving and to wear helmets, seat belts and use the proper sports safety equipment during recreational activities throughout the year.” "Spinal cord injury primarily affects the young, with more than half of all injuries occurring among the 16 to 30 year age group. Many children are participating in summer camps and sporting activities so we need to urge caution,” added Dr. Green. Additionally, raising awareness of spinal cord injury through public education, high-profile fundraising and special events is a goal and ongoing mission of The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis, the fundraising arm of The Miami Project. “The number of people affected by spinal cord injury is growing each year because these people are generally living longer due to better quality of care. We hope to raise awareness through government funding, private donations and fundraising so that The Miami Project can continue to make scientific breakthroughs that buoy the hopes of the millions of families throughout the world who cope with spinal cord injury,” said Marc Buoniconti, President of The Miami Project and The Buoniconti Fund. The Miami Project’s research efforts have made successful advancements in improving outcomes of those who become injured through pioneering hypothermia research and intraoperative monitoring techniques. Additionally, researchers are also addressing the quality of life issues that occur after injury such as treating pain, spasticity, autonomic functions and male fertility. “Our research in basic sciences is aimed at understanding and reversing the neurological consequences of the injuries. Our research in clinical sciences is aimed at evaluating and improving strategies that maximize function in persons living with spinal cord injuries today," noted Dr. W. Dalton Dietrich, The Miami Project’s Scientific Director. The research center’s team of scientists include a broad spectrum of researchers, clinicians and therapists from around the world brought together to ultimately find a cure for paralysis. “By uniting this broad range of expertise, The Miami Project’s team of scientists is accelerating the search for effective treatments for SCI and other neurological disorders,” said Dr. Dietrich. Founded in 1985 through the vision and efforts of Dr. Barth Green and following the injury of NFL Hall of Fame linebacker Nick Buoniconti's son Marc, The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis is located at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and is housed in the Lois Pope LIFE Center. The Miami Project is the most comprehensive research center dedicated to finding more effective treatments and, ultimately, a cure for paralysis that results from spinal cord injury.
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