Complete spinal cord injuries are a difficult clinical problem. It is unclear if the use of stem cells can contribute to neurological recovery beyond what is spontaneously achieved. In this study, the authors randomized patients with complete spinal cord injuries to one of three arms: spinal stabilization surgery with bone-marrow derived stem cells, spinal stabilization surgery alone, or non-operative management. The main outcomes were the total, motor, and sensory scores on the ASIA scale. They found that the stem cell group performed significantly better than the other two groups in all scores. Furthermore, the spinal stabilization group performed better than the non-operative group on total and sensory scoring, but not on the motor score. Overall, this trial provides support for operative management in general, as well as the addition of stem cells in spinal cord injury patients.