Four young people who had complete spinal cord injuries have regained the ability to walk, according to a report from Sky TG24. The news outlet published the update on September 7, 2026, describing the outcome of a recent study.
Sky TG24 reports that the four individuals, all described as young, were able to walk again following treatment. The approach used in the study was developed in Italy, according to multiple outlets covering the same finding, including ANSA and Avvenire.
The injuries in question were classified as complete lesions of the spinal cord, meaning the damage was considered total. Despite that severity, the patients showed functional recovery, a result that researchers are presenting as a significant step forward in spinal injury medicine.
Additional coverage from Il Fatto Quotidiano notes that the technique relies on a specific degree of trunk control—reportedly nine degrees—as a key factor in enabling patients to walk again. Il Sole 24 ORE also highlighted the case of four people with complete spinal cord lesions who returned to walking, underscoring the consistency of the results across the patient group.
The reports do not specify where the study was conducted or how long the recovery process took. They also do not name the researchers or the medical institutions involved. The information available is limited to the outcome and the Italian origin of the technique.
What to watch next: whether larger clinical trials confirm these early results and how widely the Italian-developed method can be applied to other patients with similar injuries.
