The spinal cord can be damaged through trauma, compression, or disease. Traumatic injuries are usually due to accidents and can result in paralysis depending on the location and severity of the injury. Spinal cord compression may be caused by fractures, tumors, or infections and can also lead to paralysis or loss of sensation if not addressed. The most serious injury is complete transection of the spinal cord, resulting in paralysis and loss of sensation below the level of injury.

1. Spinal Cord Injuries
FATIMA WAHID MANGRIO
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2. SPINAL CORD INJURIES
• The spinal cord can be damaged in several
ways. Outcomes range from little or no long-
term neurological deficits to severe deficits
and even death.

3. Traumatic Injuries
• Most spinal cord injuries are due to trauma
• Any segment of the spinal cord may be
involved, the most common sites of injury are
in the cervical, lower thoracic, and upper
lumbar regions. Depending on the location and
extent of spinal cord damage, paralysis may
occur.

4. • Monoplegia is paralysis of one limb only.
• Diplegia is paralysis of both upper limbs or
both lower limbs.
• Paraplegia is paralysis of both lower limbs.
• Hemiplegia is paralysis of the upper limb,
trunk, and lower limb on one side of the body,
and quadriplegia is paralysis of all four limbs.

5. Spinal Cord Compression
• Spinal cord compression may result from
fractured vertebrae, tumors, osteoporosis, or
infections etc.
• If the source of the compression is determined
before neural tissue is destroyed, spinal cord
function usually returns to normal.
• Depending on the location and degree of
compression, symptoms include pain, weakness or
paralysis, and either decreased or complete loss
of sensation below the level of the injury.

6. Spinal Cord Transection
• The most serious injury is transection, or
severing, of the spinal cord. If, for example,
the spinal cord is severed at the level of the
8th thoracic segment, there will be paralysis
and loss of sensation below that level.

7. Spinal Shock
• spinal shock,temporary loss of spinal cord
reflexes. In this example, the spinal cord
reflexes of the lower trunk and legs will not
occur. The stretch reflexes and flexor
reflexes of the legs will be at least
temporarily abolished, as will the urination
and defecation reflexes.

8. • As spinal cord neurons below the injury
recover their ability to generate
impulses, these reflexes, such as the
patellar reflex, often return. Urination
and defecation reflexes may also be
reestablished, but the person will not
have an awareness of the need to
urinate or defecate. Nor will voluntary
control of these reflexes be possible,
because inhibiting impulses from the
brain can no longer reach the lower
segments of the spinal cord.

9. • Potentially less serious injuries are those in
which the spinal cord is crushed rather
than severed, and treatment is aimed at
preserving whatever function remains.

10. Degenerative Diseases
• A number of degenerative diseases affect
the functions of the spinal cord.
• Another progressive degenerative disease is
sclerosis,which affects motor neurons of the
brain and spinal cord and results in muscle
weakness.

11. Shingles
• Shingles is an acute infection of the
peripheral nervous system caused by herpes
zoster, the virus that also causes chickenpox.
After a person recovers from chickenpox, the
virus retreats to a posterior root ganglion. If
the virus is reactivated, the immune system
usually prevents it from spreading. From time
to time, however, the reactivated virus
overcomes a weakened immune system, leaves
the ganglion, and travels down sensory
neurons of the skin.