Abstract: New methods for treating patients with a traumatic contusion-type spinal cord injury are provided. The method comprises the steps of providing a patient having a contusion-type injury and administering liposomes containing dichloromethylene diphosphonate (hereinafter referred to as "Cl.sub.2 MBP") . The liposomes are preferably administered to the patient by intravenous injection. The liposomes are administered prior to the onset of infiltration of the spinal cord by the peripheral macrophages. Preferably, the liposomes are administered to the patient multiple times preferably during a period extending from 0 hours to seven days after occurrence of the injury. In a preferred embodiment, the liposomes are multilamellar phosphatidylcholine liposomes.