For the first time, doctors have used stem cells to try and repair the spinal cords of human fetuses in the womb. The new technique attempts to heal nerve damage caused by spina bifida, a disabling ...

For much of modern history, orthopedic surgery has relied on precision, hardware, and long recoveries. The rhythm was familiar: a problem in the spine or joint would lead to imaging, diagnosis, and ...

Michelle Johnson was 20 weeks into her pregnancy when she learned her unborn son had spina bifida. Because his spine hadn’t fully sealed, the spinal cord was left protruding from a gaping hole.

A Phase I clinical trial published in The Lancet has shown that combining stem cell therapy with standard fetal surgery before birth is a safe and promising approach to treat myelomeningocele, a ...

A patch made of stem cells from donor placentas has been used to treat fetuses in the womb with a severe form of spina bifida as part of a world-first trial. The novel approach seems to have reversed ...