Dr Mohamad Bydon, a Mayo Clinic neurosurgeon and first author of the study, said the results indicate that severe spinal cord injuries that were once thought hopeless, could be treatable in the future.

For years, treatment of spinal cord injury has been limited to supportive care, more specifically stabilisation surgery and physical therapy, said Dr Bydon.

Many historical textbooks state that this condition does not improve. In recent years, we have seen findings from the medical and scientific community that challenge prior assumptions.

This research is a step forward toward the ultimate goal of improving treatments for patients.

In Britain, an estimated 50,000 people are living with a spinal cord injury with about 2,500 new injuries each year.

Although operations to realign the spine and remove bone fragments or fuse bones can be effective, many people are left without movement below the site of the injury and show little improvement over time.

In the study, six people with neck injuries and four with back injuries, aged between 18 and 65 were assessed using the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale, which has five levels, ranging from complete loss of function to normal function.

After treatment, seven participants who improved each moved up at least one level on the ASIA scale, with two patients moving up two levels. Three patients showed no improvement.

The spinal cord has limited ability to repair its cells or make new ones. Patients typically experience most of their recovery in the first six to 12 months after injuries occur. Improvement generally stops 12 to 24 months after injury.

However, during the trial two patients with cervical spine injuries of the neck received stem cells 22 months after their injuries and improved one level on the ASIA scale after treatment.

Some also regained movement and improved bowel function.

In spinal cord injury, even a mild improvement can make a significant difference in that patients quality of life, added Dr Bydon.

Spinal cord injury is a complex condition. Future research may show whether stem cells in combination with other therapies could be part of a new paradigm of treatment to improve outcomes for patients.

This study documents the safety and potential benefit of stem cells and regenerative medicine.

Fat tissue was used because it is abundant and easy to get hold of in the body and has the most mesenchymal stem cells.

Despite the success of the treatment, scientists are still unsure how the stem cells are boosting regeneration. In animal trials, it has been shown that they flock towards areas of inflammation, helping to regulate the immune response.

As part of the study, researchers took lumbar punctures from the patients to gather their cerebrospinal fluid before and after treatment to see if they could pick up any changes

After treatment, they found an increased level of a protein called Vascular endothelial growth factor, in seven patients. The protein promotes the growth of new blood vessels and forms part of the mechanism that restores the blood supply to cells and tissues.

The phase one trial, which was primarily looking at the safety of the treatment, reported no serious adverse events with only mild side effects such as headache and musculoskeletal pain that resolved with over-the-counter treatment. Further trials are expected to follow.

The study was published in the journal Nature Communications.

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Paralysed patients could regain movement and sensation, stem cell treatment trial finds - The Telegraph