EPO and spinal cord injury: <h4>Background</h4>To critically evaluate the neurological recovery effects and antioxidant effects of erythropoietin (EPO) in rat models of spinal cord injury (SCI).<h4>Methods</h4>The PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science were searched for animal experiments applying EPO to treat SCI to January 2022.