Spinal Cord Injury : Quadriplegic and Paraplegic Injuries

For a person who has been paralysed due to a spinal cord injury, paraplegic and quadriplegic (tetraplegic) are terms used to describe the resultant medical condition. The classification of spinal cord injury depends on the spinal cord injury level and severity of a persons paralysis, and how it affects their limbs.

Aims of This Website

This website provides peer support for those affected by spinal cord injuries. When someone suffers a spinal cord injury, there will be a wide variety of issues to cope with.

The following topics are the most common areas this website addresses:

• Acute spinal cord injury support.
• Chronic spinal cord injury support.
• Incontinence support.
• Rehabilitation.
• Prevention of pressure sores.
• Pain management.
• Mobility issues - wheelchairs, adapted cars, motorbikes.
• Accessible holidays.
• Stem cell research and stem cell therapy.

It has always been the opinion of Apparelyzed, that when you live with paralysis from a spinal cord injury, there are many situations in life which need solving by a different and often unique approach, you really need to think outside "the box", and Think Different!

Paraplegic and Quadriplegic Discussion Forum

If you have any spinal cord injury related questions, please visit our discussion forums and join in on the many topics there. We will do our best to help you, or at the very least, put you in contact with someone who can help if we can't. The discussion forum is intended to be a free flow of information between spinally injured people, carers, and their friends, and everyone is welcome. Even if you don't have any questions, take a look at the forum anyway, as you may be able offer help and advice to others who have questions.

What is a Spinal Cord Injury ?

A spinal cord injury (SCI) is typically defined as damage or trauma to the spinal cord that in turn results in a loss or impaired function resulting in reduced mobility or feeling.

Typical common causes of damage to the spinal cord, are trauma (car/motorcycle accident, gunshot, falls, sports injuries, etc.), or disease (Transverse Myelitis, Polio, Spina Bifida, Friedreich's Ataxia, spinal cord tumour, spinal stenosis, etc.). The resulting damage to the spinal cord is known as a lesion, and the paralysis is known as quadriplegia or quadraplegia / tetraplegia if the injury is in the cervical (neck) region, or as paraplegia if the injury is in the thoracic, lumbar or sacral region.

The spinal cord injury level is usually referred to alpha numerically, relating to the affected segment in the spinal cord, ie, C4, T5, L5 etc.

Below the conus medullaris (L1-L2), the spinal canal contains a mass of nerves refered to as the cauda equina or "horse-tail". These nerves branch off the lower end of the spinal cord and contain the nerve roots from L1-5 and S1-5. Injury to these nerve roots are refered to as cauda equina syndrome.

It is possible for someone to suffer a broken neck,or a broken back without becoming paralysed. This occurs when there is a fracture or dislocation of the vertebrae, but the spinal cord has not been damaged.

What is a Complete and Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury

There are typically two types of lesions associated with a spinal cord injury, these are known as a complete spinal cord injury and an incomplete spinal cord injury. A complete type of injury means the person is completely paralysed below their lesion. Whereas an incomplete injury, means only part of the spinal cord is damaged. A person with an incomplete injury may have sensation below their lesion but no movement, or visa versa. There are many types in incomplete spinal cord injuries, and no two are the same.

Such injuries are known as Brown Sequard Syndrome, Central Cord Syndrome, Anterior Cord Syndrome and Posterior Cord Syndrome.

What is Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation for individuals with a spinal cord injury combines physical therapies with skill-building activities. These activities will usually take place at a specialist centre such as a spinal cord injury rehabilitation centre or spinal injury centre. A rehabilitation team will usually oversee activities and include a doctor specialising in spinal injuries, social workers, physical and occupational therapists, sports educators, rehabilitation nurses, rehabilitation psychologists, vocational counsellors and nutritionists.

Generally, paraplegics will be in hospital for around 5 months, where as quadriplegics can be in hospital for around 6 - 8 months, whilst they undergo rehabilitation. Both paraplegics and quadriplegics should have some kind of rehabilitation and physiotherapy before they are discharged from hospital, to help maximise their potential, or help them get used to life in a wheelchair, and to help teach techniques which make everyday life easier.

Disabled sports, and wheelchair based sports can be an excellent way to build stamina, and help in rehabilitation by giving confidence and better social skills. The ultimate reward for many disabled sportsmen and women, is to win at the paralympic games, which will be coming to London in 2012.

Spinal Cord Injury Cure and Treatment

A cure for long term paralysis is still some years in the future, but clinical trials are taking place with olfactory ensheathing glial (OEG) cells and embryonic stem cell based therapy.

Quadraplegic, Tetraplegic, Paraplegic and it's Definition

Quadraplegic is derived from two separate words from two different languages, Latin and Greek. The word “Quadra”, meaning “four” which is derived from Latin, relates to the number of limbs. “Plegic”, is derived from the Greek word “Plegia”, meaning paralysis.

Put the two together, and you have “Quadraplegia”.

“Tetra” is derived from the Greek word for “Four”. “Para” is derived from the Greek word for "two" Hence: Tetraplegic and Paraplegic.

In Europe, the term for 4 limb paralysis has always been tetraplegia. The Europeans would never dream of combining a Latin and Greek root in one word.

In 1991, when the American Spinal Cord Injury Classification system was being revised, the definition of names was discussed. The British are more aware of Greek versus Latin names. Since Plegia is a Greek word and quadri is Latin, the term quadriplegia mixes language sources. Upon review of the literature, it was recommended that the term tetraplegia be used by the American Spinal Cord Association so that there are not two different words in English referring to the same thing.