Objectives: Currently, effective therapeutic strategy for spinal cord injury (SCI) is not clinically available. To establish a better method that may help repair the injured spinal cord, sodium hyaluronate-ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) gelatinous particles were generated. Methods: A segment of spinal cord tissue was excised to form a 2.5-mm-long cavity at thoracic level in an adult rat, and sodium hyaluronate-CNTF gelatinous particles were implanted into the lesion cavity. The recovery of the injured spinal cord was evaluated by immunohistochemistry, nerve tracing, electrophysiological test and Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan locomotor rating scale. Results: Open-field locomotion of the sodium hyaluronate-CNTF rats was significantly enhanced up to 12 weeks postoperation. Together with the evidence of enhanced cortical motor evoked potentials and cortical somatosensory evoked potentials in the sodium hyaluronate-CNTF group, these findings suggested a powerful functional recovery component. Immunohistochemical analyses suggested that the functional recovery might be attributable partly to an increase in axonal regrowth as well as in replenishment of beta-tubulin-III-positive neuron-like cells. Conclusion: Sodium hyaluronate-CNTF gelatinous particles may provide an effective method for treating SCI.