Spinal cord injuries can either be complete or incomplete paralysis. With a complete spinal cord injury individuals are not expected to improve. Of all of the spinal cord injuries, 50% of them are complete. When this occurs, the individual loses complete motor and sensory function where the injury occurred. Usually, paraplegia can occur at the point of the injury or below it. Most spinal cord injuries cause lower limbs to be paralyzed, a source mentioned.
An incomplete spinal cord injury can occur. There are three types of syndromes similar to thoracic spine injuries. These injuries can cause a variety of neurological deficits depending on the impact of the fracture on the spinal cord, a study stated. The three syndromes of an incomplete spinal cord injury can be anterior cord syndrome, Brown-Séquard syndrome, and central cord syndrome.
Anterior cord syndrome results in a failure of motor function and pain to happen. A loss of temperature sensation also occurs. The injury strikes in the front of the spinal cord. The limbs will regain their movement and equilibrium. The sensory inputs of the muscles and tendons are not affected by the injury. However, an individual with anterior cord syndrome does have to be cautious about what happens to the limbs after the injury to prevent bleeding or other injuries from occurring without the person realizing it, a doctor warned.
Brown-Séquard syndrome happens when the left or right side of the spinal cord is damaged. Brown-Séquard syndrome develops resulting in a loss of proprioception, which is the sense of knowing if the body is moving with the required effort, and movement of the body. An eMedicine study shows that recovery of the syndrome is good. It found that 50% to 75% one-year motor recovery occurs one or two months after the spinal injury occurs. Recovery slows after the first couple of months, but an individual with syndrome can show progress two years after the incident.
Central cord syndrome is caused by damage to the center of the spinal cord. When damage occurs, motor weaknesses occur in the upper limbs and there is a variety of sensory deficits. The damage usually occurs between the T1 and T5 levels of the upper back. Spinal concussions are also possible when a trauma to the back occurs. Temporary neurological symptoms occur which resolve themselves one or two days after they develop. Hospitals in The Bronx and Brooklyn have also found this to be true,
Let a New York Spinal Injury Attorney take a closer look into your case. If you have been in a trauma that damaged your spinal cord, talk to a New York Spinal Injury Attorney today about what they can do for you.