National news and medical journals shined the spotlight on cooling in spinal cord injury (SCI) when Buffalo Bills tight end Kevin Everett suffered the devastating effects from a head-on tackle in front of thousands of spectators in 2007. Within minutes, he was “iced” and transported to a medical center, where he underwent emergency surgery to repair damage to his cervical spine. With a potential paralysis prognosis, he was able to walk just 3 months after his injury. In 2011, another young athlete, a 20-year-old gymnast named Jorge Valdes, walked out of the hospital 7 days after receiving systemic cooling and surgery for a cervical spine injury. Although much media attention has been placed on these 2 captivating cases, where are we now and what does the research indicate for therapeutic hypothermia in patients with SCI?

Spinal cord injuries in the United States affect roughly 240 000 to 340 000 people,...

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