FIG. 4.

(A) Open field locomotor function was evaluated using the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) score for each group subjected to the displacement injury with a velocity of 1 m/sec and impactor/cord contact time of 0.2 sec. Greater tissue displacements led to poorer functional recovery. At each greater displacement level, the BBB score was progressively lower which continued over 5 weeks. (B) The Louisville Swim Score (LSS) was used to test rats at 5 weeks after spinal cord injury (SCI). Swimming performance worsened with increasing cord displacement. After 5 weeks, the milder injury displacement groups were able to swim much better than those injured at 0.8 mm or higher displacement levels (***p = 0.001). Data are the mean ± SD (n = 6–7/group).