The rest are due to acts of violence (primarily gunshot wounds and assaults), sports injuries, medical or surgical injury, industrial accidents, diseases and conditions that can damage the spinal cord, and other less common causes.įor information on what makes up the spinal cord and spinal column, see the Appendix at the end of this document. Motor vehicle accidents and catastrophic falls are the most common causes of SCI in the United States. Secondary damage results from inflammation and swelling that can press on the spinal cord and vertebrae, as well as from changes in the activity of cells and cell death. Primary damage is immediate and is caused directly by the injury.
A lower injury to the spinal cord may cause paralysis affecting the legs and lower body (called paraplegia).Ī spinal cord injury can damage a few, many, or almost all of the nerve fibers that cross the site of injury. An injury higher on the spinal cord can cause paralysis in most of the body and affect all limbs (called tetraplegia or quadriplegia). Loss of nerve function occurs below the level of injury. The extent of disability depends on where along the spinal cord the injury occurs and the severity of the injury. This damage can result in temporary or permanent changes in sensation, movement, strength, and body functions below the site of injury. SCI can be caused by direct injury to the spinal cord itself or from damage to the tissue and bones (vertebrae) that surround the spinal cord.
The spinal cord extends from the lower part of the brain down through the lower back. What are some signs and symptoms of spinal cord injury?Ī spinal cord injury (SCI) is damage to the tight bundle of cells and nerves that sends and receives signals from the brain to and from the rest of the body.
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