The INSPIRE Study: Probable Benefit of the Neuro-Spinal Scaffold for Treatment of AIS A Thoracic Acute Spinal Cord Injury

Inclusion Criteria:

Subjects must meet all of the following to be considered eligible:

1. AIS A classification of traumatic spinal cord injury at T2-T12 neurological level of injury confirmed by a qualified medical professional
2. Recent injury (must receive Scaffold within 7 days from injury)
3. Non-penetrating SCI (contusion injury) that is no less than approximately 4 mm in diameter by MRI
4. Requires open spine surgery allowing access to the injured spinal cord (subjects requiring either posterior surgical approach or posterior plus anterior approach will be eligible)
5. Informed consent obtained
6. 16-70 years of age, inclusive
7. Hemodynamically stable and deemed a suitable candidate for surgery

Exclusion Criteria:

Subjects who meet any of the following will be excluded:

1. Terminally ill subjects not likely to be able to participate in follow-up
2. Incomplete spinal cord injury (AIS B, C, D, and E injuries)
3. Subjects with more than one discrete spinal cord injury (contusion) will be excluded.
4. No discrete cavity (existing or created by irrigation/myelotomy) in the contused spinal cord in which a Scaffold can be placed
5. Evidence of clear and significant Somatosensory Evoked Potentials (SSEP) transmission through the injury site before Scaffold implantation (based on the judgment of the Investigator)
6. Subjects with clinically significant pre-existing neurological comorbidities that are unrelated to the contusion being treated (e.g., multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, significant prior peripheral nerve dysfunction, residual problems related to previous spine-related neurological pathologies) will be excluded only if it is felt that these preexisting morbidities will increase risk, affect safety monitoring, or confound study results
7. Spinal cord injury associated with significant traumatic brain injury or coma that, in the opinion of the Investigator, would preclude adequate assessment of spinal cord function, brain injury that could be associated on its own with sensory or motor deficits, or subjects with any other reason that results in an unreliable International Standards of Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (ISNCSCI) exam
8. Subjects with clinically significant pre-existing respiratory disease not related to the contusion being treated (e.g., chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder)
9. Subjects requiring Long-term ongoing mechanical ventilation
10. Subjects with documented immune deficiency disorders, including a known diagnosis of HIV infection/AIDS
11. Recent (according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) IV or DSM V criteria) history of abuse of narcotics or other significant substance abuse
12. Significant injury complications where, in the view of the Investigator, participation in the study could further complicate subject care, limit study follow-up, or confound interpretation of safety or efficacy data.

A female who is:

1. Pregnant, or planning to become pregnant within the next 12-months; or
2. Breastfeeding; or
3. A woman of child-bearing potential (defined as post menarche and biologically capable of becoming pregnant [i.e., not surgically sterile]) who is engaged in active heterosexual relations and is not willing to use a barrier or hormonal form of birth control for 12-months following Scaffold implantation (e.g., oral, injected, or implanted contraceptives)
4. A male who is engaged in active heterosexual relations and is not willing to use birth control for 3-months following Scaffold implantation including sperm donation or banking
5. Current or impending incarceration
6. Complete spinal cord transection
7. Subjects with spinal cord injuries directly due to gunshot, knife, or other penetrating wounds.
8. Known hypersensitivity to poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) or poly-L-lysine (PLL) (e.g., hypersensitivity to absorbable sutures containing PLGA)
9. History of severe mental illness (according to DSM IV or V)
10. Evidence of pre-trauma active local or systemic infection
11. Participation in another interventional clinical trial for six months after Scaffold implantation
12. Body mass index (BMI) over 39
13. Having a medical condition (e.g., cardiovascular disease, life threatening injuries), or receiving medical treatment, or having any other reason that, in the judgment of the Investigator, precludes successful participation and follow-up for at least six months or confounds collection or interpretation of study safety, feasibility, or efficacy data