What is considered tetraplegia?
Tetraplegia (sometimes referred to as quadriplegia) is a term used to describe the inability to voluntarily move the upper and lower parts of the body. The areas of impaired mobility usually include the fingers, hands, arms, chest, legs, feet and toes and may or may not include the head, neck, and shoulders.
Why is quadriplegia now called tetraplegia?
It combines two different languages. The Greek word for four is “Tetra.” Combine that with “plegia” and you have a word with Greek roots for both halves. The British have always used the term “Tetraplegia” for four-limb paralysis, so they are not combining Latin and Greek words.
What is the difference between paraplegic and tetraplegic?
Paraplegia is a paralysis starting in the thoracic (T1-T12), lumbar (L1-L5) or sacral (S1-S5) area, while tetraplegia is caused by damage in the cervical area (C1-C8). Persons with paraplegia possess good functioning of the arms and hands.
Is tetraplegia a disability?
Many different conditions and injuries can lead to quadriplegia. Due to the severity of quadriplegia, many individuals are permanently disabled. If you have been impacted by quadriplegia and are unable to work to your full capacity, there could be financial help available to you.
How is tetraplegia caused?
Tetraplegia is a paralysis caused by an injury of the cervical spinal cord. This can result in a partial or total sensory and motor loss of the four limbs and torso. The injuries that occur above level C4 often result in respiratory deficiency.
What is the tetraplegia and quadriplegia?
Tetraplegia, also known as quadriplegia, refers to paralysis in the upper and lower body. This means that it affects both arms and both legs. This type of paralysis is typically due to damage to the spinal cord or brain. Tetraplegia is one of the most severe forms of paralysis.
Can a tetraplegic walk?
Some individuals with tetraplegia can walk and use their hands, as though they did not have a spinal cord injury, while others may use wheelchairs and they can still have function of their arms and mild finger movement; again, that varies on the spinal cord damage.
What is an incomplete tetraplegia?
Incomplete quadriplegia is caused by damage to the cervical spinal cord, which is the uppermost region of the spinal cord located around the neck. Both motor and sensory nerves branch off from the cervical spinal cord, innervating the neck, shoulders, arms, and hands.
What are the causes of tetraplegia?
Causes
- falls or injuries from vehicle or sporting accidents.
- autoimmune conditions, such as multiple sclerosis or Guillain-Barre syndrome.
- neurological conditions, such as stroke.
- tumors and lesions in the brain or spinal cord.
- neurological conditions, such as cerebral palsy.
- spinal cord infections, such as due to polio.
How is the extent of disability determined in tetraplegia?
Tetraplegia is defined as the impairment from an injury to any of the cervical segments of the spine, but the extent of disability is primarily determined from the specific functional level of the injury.
Can a person with tetraplegia move their arms?
High-level tetraplegia, with functional levels from C2 to C4 generally have no movement of the arms short of some shoulder elevation. They have some control of the neck muscles, and likely rely on ventilatory support depending on the actual functional level of injury.
What is the rehabilitation of the tetraplegic hand?
In fact, true rehabilitation of the tetraplegic hand should be thought of as the judicious application of both nonoperative and operative interventions tailored to the particular patient toward the goal of maximizing function in the context of that patient’s global psychosocial and medical state.