Spinal Cord Injury Related Acronyms

Just to make life easier, here are a few of the acronyms you will see being talked about on this site.

If you are going to copy this growing list, please include a return link to Apparelyzed as a show of your support, Many thanks!

Spinal Injury Acronyms

4-AP - 4-Aminopyridine
A & E - Accident and Emergency (UK equivalent of ER).
AB - Able-Bodied
AD - Autonomic Dysreflexia
ADA - Americans with Disabilities Act
AFO - Ankle Foot Orthosis
ASC - Adult Stem Cell
B&B - Bowel and Bladder
BM - Bowel Movement
BP - Blood Pressure
BSS - Browns Sequard Syndrome
CAT - Computed Axial Tomography (also known as a CT scan)
CES - Cauda Equina Syndrome
CIDP - Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy
CNA - Certified Nursing Assistant
CNS - Central Nervous System
CP - Cerebral Palsy
CPS - Central Pain Syndrome
CSS - Cervical Spinal Stenosis
CTO - Cervicothoracic Orthoses
DDA - Disabilities Discrimination Act (UK version of ADA)
DDD - Degenerative Disc Disease
ECC - External Condom Catheter
ER - Emergency room
ESC - Embryonic Stem Cell
ESRD - End Stage Renal Disease
FES - Functional Electrical Stimulation
GP - General Practitioner
HD - Huntington's Disease
HHA - Home Health Aide
HO - Heterotopic Ossification
IBS - Irritable Bowel Syndrome
IC - Intermittent Catheterization
ICU - Intensive Care Unit (US version of ITU)
ITB - Intrathecal Baclofen Therapy
ITU - Intensive Therapy Unit (UK version of ICU)
KAFO - Knee Ankle Foot Orthosis
KUB - Kidney, Urinary and Bowel X-Ray
LMN - Lower Motor Neuron
LSS - Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
ME - Manual Evacuation
MRI - Magnetic Resonance Imaging
MS - Multiple sclerosis
NF2 - Neurofibromatosis, type 2
MVA - Motor Vehicle Accident
OR - Operating Room
OT - Occupational Therapy
PCA - Personal Care Attendant
PD - Parkinson's Disease
PLS - Primary Lateral Sclerosis
PT - Physical Therapy
RTA - Road Traffic Accident
SARS - Sacral Anterior Root Stimulation
SB - Spina Bifida
SCD - Spinal Cord Disorder or Spinal Cord Disease
SCI - Spinal cord injury
SCIWORA - Spinal Cord Injury Without Obvious Radiologic Abnormality
SLE - Systemic Lupus Erythematosa
SPC - Supra Pubic Catheter
TSS - Thoracic Spinal Stenosis
TSO - Thoracolumber Sacral Orthosis
TBI - Traumatic Brain Injury
UMN - Upper Motor Neuron
VAC - Vacuum Assisted Closure (KCI trademarked)
TM - Transverse Myelitis
UTI - Urinary Tract Infection

Injury Level Description

C + number - Injury to the cervical area (the neck, result = Quadriplegia/Tetraplegia)
T + number - Injury to the thoracic area (the chest/back, result = Paraplegia))
L + number - Injury to the lumbar area
S + number - Injury to the sacral area

American Spinal Injury Association Classification

The American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Classification of spinal cord injury, also called the ASIA Impairment Scale. Here is the definition:

A = Complete: No motor or sensory function is preserved in the sacral segments S4-S5.

B = Incomplete: Sensory but not motor function is preserved below the neurological level and includes the sacral segments S4-S5.

C = Incomplete: Motor function is preserved below the neurological level, and more than half of key muscles below the neurological level have a muscle grade less than 3.

D = Incomplete: Motor function is preserved below the neurological level, and at least half of key muscles below the neurological level have a muscle grade of 3 or more.

E = Normal: motor and sensory function are normal.



If you can think of any others, PM them to me to be added.

Simon