Spinal cord injury happens when the spinal cord is injured or damaged, resulting in loss of function (sensation or movement). The cord is vulnerable to trauma, such as that which happens from a fall, a motor vehicle accident or a gunshot wound. Spinal cord injuries might also accompany particular diseases, such as spina bifida or polio.
The cord does not necessarily will need to be severed in order for loss of function to happen. Most people who suffer spinal cord injuries and survive have an intact spinal cord, but the damage brought on results in considerable impairment.
In order to have an understanding of injury, it is useful to have an understanding of the structure of the cord and surrounding structures:
The cord- About 45 centimeters (18 inches) lengthy, the cord travels from the base of the neck to the level of the waist. Nerves encased in the cord carry messages to and from the brain to the spinal nerves which lay in the cord tract. Spinal nerves branch out from the spinal cord and carry impulses back and forth from other areas of the brain. Spinal nerves enter and exit the cord at several levels, which correspond to several areas of the physique. Sensory neurons carry messages from the skin and other organs to the brain regarding sensation, such as pressure and discomfort. Motor neurons carry messages from the brain to the physique to initiate movement. The spinal cord is composed of the nerves that carry impulses from the brain to the rest of the physique, so an injury or disease that impacts the spinal cord will also impact the bodys capability to move or encounter particular sensations.
The vertebrae- The cord is surrounded by a column of bones that protect the spinal cord. This column of bones makes up your spinal column, or spine. As a common rule, the higher up the spine an injury happens, the higher the loss of function. Bones in the spinal column are named according to the region in which they lay. There are eight vertebrae in the neck (cervical vertebrae, C1 to C8), twelve vertebrae in the chest region (thoracic vertebrae, T1 to T12), five vertebrae in the lower back (lumbar vertebrae, L1 to L5) and five vertebrae in the pelvic region (sacral vertebrae, S1 to S5).
Incomplete versus Total Spinal Cord Injury
Cord injuries might be classed as either incomplete or complete. In complete cord injury, there is complete loss of function beneath the level of the injury. Both sides of the physique are affected equally. In incomplete cord injury, some function is preserved beneath the level of the injury. With an incomplete injury, 1 side might be affected extra than the other there might be some sensation and some mobility. As stated previously, the higher the level of injury, the higher the loss of function and sensation. For example, injuries occurring high up in the spinal cord might impede the victims capability to breathe, although injuries occurring lower in the spinal cord might result in loss of walking capability but preserve breathing function.
Quadriplegia versus Paraplegia
Quadriplegia is a term applied to describe loss of function from the shoulders down, although paraplegia refers to loss of function from the waist down. Loss of function can include things like bowel and bladder manage, as nicely as loss of sexual function.
Cord injury is a devastating injury that greatly impacts the survivors life, as nicely as that of their loved ones. With new technology and treatment, extra people are surviving cord injuries and living productive lives. The extent of injury is greatly dependent on irrespective of whether the cord injury is complete or incomplete and at what level the cord injury happens.
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