9 replies to this topic

[Ironside]

I got an e-mail from a guy who found my website. Just wondered if you would agree with what he says. I can't find any information on the Internet which actually backs up what he says about Tetraplegic being slightly different from Quadriplegic. As far as I have always been concerned, Quadriplegic was always an American term.

"Just a little FYI. I was poking around on the Web and got to your web site and you stated tetraplegic and quadriplegia to the same. Technically, and this is only technically a tetraplegic would be someone at the C1/C2 level that had absolutely no use of their arms. A quadriplegic as someone where all four limbs are affected and usually pertains to C4/T6. The other thing that you may want to know is there are only seven vertebrates and not eight. The space between C7 and T1 is called C8 but trust me there are only seven vertebrates. It's because they start at the top of C1 and end at the bottom of C7 for the dermotones or nerve branches"

[Adrian]

From what i remember, you can be injured at T1 and still be considered a Tetraplegic as some of the nerves come out at that level that feed the arms/hands. I think they were sensory rather than motor nerves, but might also include motor nerves.

I always equated tetraplegic and quadraplegics, as tetra=quad=4.. Could be wrong, it's happened before.

[Apparelyzed]

Quadriplegia or Tetraplegia, is the generally accepted descriptive name for someone who has paralysis affecting all four limbs. The paralysis is usually due to damage to the spinal cord originating in the cervical section of the spinal cord.

Quadriplegia or Tetraplegia can be used to describe paralysis of the Legs AND trunk AND arms. The paralysis in the arms does not have to be complete to apply the term Quadriplegic or Tetraplegic.

There are seven cervical vertabrae, but 8 cervical spinal cord levels due to the way the nerves exit the spinal cord through the vertabrae.

Simon

[Ironside]

Thanks a lot for the replies. I did a search for the definition of Tetraplegic and Quadriplegic and I couldn't find any difference between the two.

[kennyren]

Hi i am a tetra C567 and i can use my hands arms move my legs but not much use so i think this makes it worse if you can move them but can't use them

[Ironside]

Guest_Phil, on Mar 11 2006, 05:59 AM, said:

Hi
My understanding is ;
Quad -means 4
Tetra - Means Five
Therefor a Quad has disfunction of the four limbs and a Tetra has in addition disfunction of everything below the head ie needs assistance to breathe.

I have searched high and low I can't find any thing that actually says Tetraplegic and Quadriplegic are different. Maybe it is written somewhere in a medical volume but I haven't been able to find anything that says they mean different things. I have always thought Quadriplegic is more an American term as some American people I know, have never heard the term Tetraplegic

[Apparelyzed]

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.

In 1991, when the American Spinal Cord Injury Classification system was being revised, the difference in 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.

Regards

Simon

[carolline]

I'm just watching..to this post.Waiting for someone...defferenciate between TETRAPLEGIA and QUADRIPLEGIA.Since when I entered to my study as a nursing and graduated.Started to work...we used to hear the QUADDRIPLEGIA and not a TETRA.Or maybe because we used the American standard of education.But when I entered to world of different nationality,and most of our doctors are British.I heard to them using the word TETRAPLEGIA to the QUAD patient.

So there's no different between the two.And according to my old medical books Qudriplegia is most commonly used.I'll get to be updated about TETRA.