Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been performed to assess the efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatment on experimental spinal cord injury in a rat animal model. A moderately severe injury, similar to Type III injury seen in humans (Kulkarni et al. Radiology 164:837;1987) has been chosen for these studies. An improvement in the neurologic recovery (based on Tarlov scale) has been observed following HBO treatment over a period of 72 hr. Based on MRI, HBO treatment appears to arrest the spread of hemorrhage and resolve edema.