Spinal Cord Injury

Question 1

What are the three types of spinal cord injuries?

Answer 1

1. Transection: This is when the spinal cord is completely cut, leading to a permanent loss of function below the injury.
2. Quadriplegia (or Tetraplegia): Paralysis of all four limbs (arms and legs) due to an injury in the cervical (neck) region of the spinal cord.
3. Paraplegia: Paralysis of the lower body (torso and legs) due to an injury below the T1 level (chest area) of the spinal cord.

Question 2

What happens in a complete injury?

Answer 2

In a complete injury, all signals are blocked below the injury, so functions below that level are lost. All tracts are completely disrupted

Question 3

What are the injury levels?

Answer 3

• Cervical (Neck):
  Higher injuries (like C1-C3) can cause a loss of breathing control, meaning the person might need a ventilator to breathe.
  Lower cervical injuries (like C7-T1) may allow some limited use of the arms.
• Thoracic (Upper Back):
  Complete injuries here usually cause paraplegia (loss of function in the legs), but the arms and breathing are not affected.
• Lumbosacral (Lower Back):
  Injuries in this area affect control over the legs, bladder, bowel, hips, and sexual function.

Question 4

Key thing to remember!

Answer 4

The higher the injury on the spinal cord, the more of the body is affected, the higher you go the worse…

Question 5

What happens in a incomplete injury? (some tracts remain intact)?

Answer 5

Together with functions
mediated by these tracts; has the potential for recovery, although
function is temporarily lost – spinal shock. EG. brown-sequard syndrome