Spinal Cord Injury

Over 10,000 people in the US suffer a spinal cord injury, also called SCI, each year. SCI is defined as any damage to the spinal cord that results in loss of function or mobility. Such injuries can be caused by trauma or disease and can result in temporary or permanent loss of sensation, loss of movement (paralysis), or loss of bowel or bladder control. Auto accidents are the primary cause, but violence-related accidents have been increasing steadily as a cause of SCI's. Falls and sports accidents also cause many SCI's each year.

There are two types of injury, complete and incomplete. A complete injury is one in which the victim has no sensation or voluntary motor movement on either side of the body below the level of the injury. If the victim has some feeling or partial movement, it is called an incomplete injury.

Injuries are usually defined with reference to the area of the spine affected. Nerves in the spine are defined by the area of the vertebrae. For instance, an injury to the spine in the neck area will affect the cervical vertebrae, so an injury to the nerves at the fifth cervical vertebra is called a C-5 injury. Below the neck are the thoracic vertebrae, so injuries there are defined as T-1, etc. Below these are the lumbar and sacral vertebrae.

Generally speaking, neck injuries can lead to paralysis of all limbs (quadriplegia) while thoracic injuries cause paralysis to the lower limbs only (paraplegia). Both areas have variations in the amount of dysfunction, depending on the severity of the injury. An incomplete cervical injury can leave the patient with some hand use, while a complete injury at C-4 can require the patient to be on a ventilator. Thoracic injuries can leave the arms functional but interfere with walking, bowel control, bladder control, and sexual function. Other functions that can be affected are blood pressure, body temperature and pain levels.

A spinal cord injury usually involves swelling of the spinal cord, which affects the whole body. When the swelling goes down, the patient may regain function months or years after the injury, but it is rare for all functioning to be recovered. Treatment presently consists of stabilizing any broken vertebrae, maintaining the patient, preventing movement to the injured area, and reducing swelling. There is no cure for SCI but stem cell research has shown some signs of being useful in the future.

If you or a loved one has suffered a spinal cord injury that seems to have been someone else's fault, call VanDerGinst Law at 1-866-843-7367 or click here for a FREE online case evaluation. The initial consultation is free of charge. If we agree to handle your injury case, we will work on a contingency fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if, and when, there is a money recovery for you. In many cases a lawsuit must be filed before an applicable expiration date, known as a statute of limitations. So please call right away to ensure that you do not waive your right to possible compensation.

• Complete vs. Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury - What is the difference and how does it affect victims of a spinal cord injury?
  
• Glossary of Spine Terminology
• Spinal Cord Injury FAQ
• Spinal Cord Injury Statistics

Links on the Web

Spinal Cord Injuries Wire Comprehensive News Feed for Spinal Cord Injuries.

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 22:21:19 GMT Trent Consultants News Neurons Developed from Stem Cells Successfully ... SBWire ... cortex, some of which are responsible for muscle control. It is these neurons that are lost or damaged in spinal cord injuries and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). "These stem cell-derived neurons can grow nerve fibers between the brain's ... Click here to read this Spinal Cord Injury news article.

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 03:31:07 GMT Spinal Cord Injury Support Group of South Florida Examiner.com The Spinal Cord Injury Support Group of South Florida is a local 501 3 not for profit organization which promotes camaraderie through friendship, education, advocacy and recreation to enhance the quality of life for those affected by spinal cord injuries and disabilities. Click here to read this Spinal Cord Injury news article.

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:22:47 GMT A Falls Concern Scale for people with spinal cord injury Nature Publishing Group ... study and cross-sectional survey. Objectives: To develop a scale assessing concern about falling in people with spinal cord injuries who are dependent on manual wheelchairs, and to evaluate psychometric properties of this new scale. Setting: ... Click here to read this Spinal Cord Injury news article.

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 18:10:00 GMT A Lifetime Penalty: Spinal Cord Injuries in High School Football Time Each year, about 1 in 100,000 high school football players suffers a serious spinal-cord injury. Click here to read this Spinal Cord Injury news article.

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 03:23:52 GMT Trent Consultants News Neurons Developed from Stem Cells Successfully ... PR-inside.com ... cortex, some of which are responsible for muscle control. It is these neurons that are lost or damaged in spinal cord injuries and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). "These stem cell-derived neurons can grow nerve fibers between the brain's ... Click here to read this Spinal Cord Injury news article.

Sat, 30 Jan 2010 09:00:00 GMT Spinal Cord Injuries To Hockey Players Have Decreased In Canada Medical News Today The past decade has seen a significant reduction in the number and severity of spinal cord injuries in Canadian ice hockey, reports a study in the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine . Click here to read this Spinal Cord Injury news article.

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