 Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)
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The human spine consists of the bony outer casing made up of segments of bone called vertebrae. They protect the spinal cord which runs the inner length of the spine. The spinal cord is like a mass of intertwined telegraph wires which transmit nerve messages from the brain to various parts of the body. They provide the initial stimulus from the brain for sensation and movement.
Paraplegia and Quadriplegia is permanent paralysis of the body caused by injury or disease affecting the spinal cord.
Paraplegia involves a loss of sensation and movement in the legs and in part or all of the trunk. This varies according to the level of the injury. Generally, the lower the injury, the less the loss of movement and sensation. Paraplegia usually results from an injury to the spinal cord in the mid and lower back.
The effects of spinal cord injury (SCI) depend on the type of injury and the level of the injury. SCI can be divided into two types of injury - complete and incomplete. A complete injury means that there is no function below the level of the injury; no sensation and no voluntary movement. Both sides of the body are equally affected. An incomplete injury means that there is some functioning below the primary level of the injury. A person with an incomplete injury may be able to move one limb more than another, may be able to feel parts of the body that cannot be moved, or may have more functioning on one side of the body than the other. With the advances in acute treatment of SCI, incomplete injuries are becoming more common. The level of injury is very helpful in predicting what parts of the body might be affected by paralysis and loss of function. Remember that in incomplete injuries there will be some variation in these prognoses.
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