What Are the Most Common Spinal Cord Injuries?

When a fragile part of the body, such as the spinal cord, endures an extreme blow, a person can experience what is known as a spinal cord injury. Spinal cord injuries are traumatic injuries to the spine that occur when a person endures significant damage to the vertebrae, disks, ligaments, or the spinal cord itself.

A person with a spinal cord injury (SCI) is also at risk of suffering additional damage days or  weeks after the injury due to inflammation, bleeding, swelling, and fluid accumulation around the spinal cord. Although a spinal cord injury is traumatic enough and will require the victim to adjust to a different way of living, there are certain characteristics of different spinal cord injuries that determine the severity and paralysis of the injury.

How are spinal cord injuries classified?

When it comes to the different types of spinal cord injuries, there are different injuries and levels of severity. Spinal cord injuries are classified into two categories: complete and incomplete. A complete SCI is an injury where all feeling and ability to control movement are lost below the injury. An incomplete SCI is an injury where the victim retains some feeling and ability to control movement below the affected area.

What are the two types of complete spinal cord injuries?

A complete spinal cord injury is an injury that is indicated by a complete lack of motor and sensory functions below the injured area. The two types of complete spinal cord injuries are complete tetraplegia and complete paraplegia.

• Complete tetraplegia is a type of spinal cord injury where the victim experiences a complete loss of control of the arms or legs.
• Complete paraplegia is a type of spinal cord injury where the victim retains no feeling or control in the legs. Both legs are paralyzed, and victims may experience other issues like loss of bowel control.

What is the difference between tetraplegia and paraplegia?

The difference between tetraplegia and paraplegia is that tetraplegia is a form of paralysis around the legs and arms. Paraplegia, on the other hand, is a form of paralysis that affects the legs only. Both conditions result from significant damage to the brain and spinal cord. When it comes to damage sustained by the cervical spine, an individual is more likely to suffer from tetraplegia based on how high the injury happens on the cervical spine.

What are the two types of incomplete spinal cord injuries?

Incomplete spinal cord injuries are caused by bruising of the spinal cord, partial severing of the spinal cord, having something pressed against the spinal cord, or having bone fragments or foreign objects embedded or affecting it. The two types of incomplete spinal cord injuries are incomplete tetraplegia and incomplete paraplegia.

Tetraplegia is a spinal cord injury that affects all four limbs, as well as the torso. Incomplete tetraplegia is a spinal cord injury where there is still some feeling or sensation in the arms or legs.

Paraplegia is a form of paralysis where function is significantly impeded below the injured area. Individuals with paraplegia can have perfectly healthy legs; however, the brain or spinal cord is unable to send or receive signals to the injured area. Incomplete paraplegia is a spinal cord injury where partial paralysis does not affect both legs. For example, a person with incomplete paraplegia may have one fully paralyzed leg and a leg with limited or even normal function.

What are the different grades of spinal cord injuries?

According to the International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury from the American Spinal Injury Association, there are different types of spinal cord injuries graded on a scale of A to E. Each level indicates the different grades of spinal cord impairment. A spinal cord injury with a Grade A indicates a spinal cord injury with a complete lack of motion or sensory function.

A spinal cord injury with a Grade B indicates a spinal cord injury with some sensory function but no motor function below the neurological level. The spinal cord injury with a Grade of C indicates an incomplete spinal cord injury where motor function is preserved below the neurological level. A spinal cord injury with a grade of D indicates similar criteria for Grade C, as well as at least half of muscle function with a grade of three or higher. A spinal cord injury with a grade of E indicates that a victim’s motor function and sensory scores are normal.

What are the symptoms of a spinal cord injury?

In the days following a spinal cord injury, the symptoms of an incomplete and complete spinal cord injury are indistinct at first. Over time, small differences may begin to surface. Some of the characteristics of an incomplete spinal cord injury include the ability to retain some sensation below the injured area, the ability to move some muscles below the injured area, and experiencing issues of chronic pain below the injury.

Some of the characteristics of a complete spinal cord injury include loss of sensation below the site of the injury, a complete loss of motion below the site of the injury, difficulty with the control of the bladder and bowels, and difficulty breathing depending on the location of the injury on the spinal cord.

What are conditions are associated with a spinal cord injury?

Some of the syndromes that indicate the presence of a spinal cord injury are Anterior cord syndrome, Brown-Sequard syndrome, and Cauda equina syndrome (CES). Anterior cord syndrome is a condition that affects the front of the spinal cord and interferes with motor and sensory function. Brown-Sequard syndrome is a condition where a lesion found on the spinal cord results in a loss of some motor and sensory functions below the injury site. CES is a rare but dangerous condition marked by extreme pressure and swelling at the end of the spinal cord.

If you or a family member suffered a spinal cord injury because of another’s negligence, you are entitled to compensation. You are also entitled to legal representation that advocates on your behalf and takes your injury as personally as you do. At KBG Injury Law, our experienced personal injury attorneys represent clients in York, Lancaster, Hanover, Harrisburg, and Gettysburg. To learn more about how we can help you receive the results you deserve, call us today at 717-848-3838 or complete our contact form to schedule a free consultation.