What level of spinal cord injury causes paraplegia?
Lumbar level injuries result in paralysis or weakness of the legs (paraplegia).
What level of the spine does paraplegia occur?
Paraplegia is diagnosed at T1, which means arm and hand function is intact, but trunk and legs have limitations. Individuals who have sacral level injury will be able to walk with assistive devices but will have limitations in bowel, bladder and sexual function.
What is T6 paraplegia?
C8: Quadriplegia, with arm function and hand weakness. T1–T6: Paraplegia (paralysis of the legs and lower body) with full function of arms but loss of function below mid-chest.
What injuries cause paraplegia?
Paraplegia is normally caused by injury to your spinal cord or brain that stops signals from reaching your lower body….These can include:
- cerebral palsy.
- cancer.
- nerve conditions.
- multiple sclerosis.
- stroke.
- spinal tumors.
- brain tumors.
- hereditary spastic paraplegia, a rare genetic condition.
What part of the spinal cord is damaged in paraplegia?
The first thoracic vertebra, T-1, is the vertebra where the top rib attaches. Injuries in the thoracic region usually affect the chest and the legs, resulting in paraplegia. The vertebra in the lower back between the thoracic vertebra, where the ribs attach, and the pelvis (hip bone), are the lumbar vertebra.
What is a C2 spinal cord injury?
Where the C1 and C2 vertebrae meet, forms the joint that allows you to move your head left to right. The nerves at each segment of the spinal cord connect to, or innervate, a specific area of skin for sensation and set of muscles for movement.
What level of spinal cord injury impairs breathing?
Generally, the higher up the level of the injury is to the spinal cord, the more severe the symptoms. For example, an injury to the neck, the first and second vertebrae in the spinal column (C1, C2), or the mid-cervical vertebrae (C3, C4, and C5) affects the respiratory muscles and the ability to breathe.
What does C2 and C3 control?
C1, C2, and C3 (the first three cervical nerves) help control the head and neck, including movements forward, backward, and to the sides. The C2 dermatome handles sensation for the upper part of the head, and the C3 dermatome covers the side of the face and back of the head.
What is T9 paraplegia?
Home » T-9 to T-12. These injuries occur in the lower thoracic region of the spinal cord, and can result in either complete or incomplete paraplegia, in which the voluntary movement and sensation in the areas of the body below the point of injury are compromised.
How are paraplegics affected by spinal cord injuries?
When these injuries occur, signals cannot travel to and from the lower regions of the body, and the body is prevented from sending signals back up the spinal cord to the brain. Thus, paraplegics not only struggle with movement below the level of injury; they also experience extensive loss of sensation.
How are paraplegics affected by loss of sensation?
Thus, paraplegics not only struggle with movement below the level of injury; they also experience extensive loss of sensation. This sensation loss varies from a feeling of tingling or reduced feeling below the level of injury to a complete inability to feel anything below the level of injury.
What happens if you have a spinal cord injury?
The higher the injury on the spinal cord, the more dysfunction can occur. Patient may not be able to breathe on his or her own, cough, or control bowel or bladder movements. Ability to speak is sometimes impaired or reduced. When all four limbs are affected, this is called tetraplegia or quadriplegia.
Which is the most common cause of non-traumatic paraplegia?
Strokes, the most common cause of non-traumatic paraplegia. Genetic disorders, such as hereditary spastic paraplegia. Oxygen deprivation to the brain or spinal cord due to choking, childbirth complications, and other injuries. Autoimmune disorders. Infections of the brain or spinal cord.