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| Patient Education -- Spinal Cord |
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Spinal Cord
What is the spinal cord?
The spinal cord is part of the nervous system and measures
approximately 18 inches long, extending from the base
of the brain to about the waist. The nerves that branch
out from the spinal cord to the other parts of the body
are called lower motor neurons (LMNs). These spinal nerves
exit and enter at each vertebral level and communicate
with specific areas of the body.
What is a spinal cord injury?
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is damage to the nerves within
the spinal canal. Most SCI's are caused by trauma to the
vertebral column, thereby affecting the spinal cord's
ability to send and receive messages from the brain to
the body's systems that control sensory, motor and autonomic
function below the level of injury.
What is the difference between a complete and incomplete
injury?
There are two classifications for spinal cord injuries
-- complete and incomplete. In a complete injury, nerve
damage obstructs every signal coming from the brain to
the body parts below the injury. In an incomplete injury,
only some of the signals are obstructed.
What are the vertebrae?
The rings of bone that make up the spinal column are known
as vertebrae. The vertebrae are named according to their
location and are called the Cervical, Thoracic, Lumbar
and Sacral vertebrae.
The seven vertebrae in the neck are the Cervical Vertebrae.
Spinal cord injury to these vertebrae usually causes a
loss of function to the arms and legs, thereby resulting
in quadriplegia.
The twelve vertebrae in the chest are called the Thoracic
Vertebrae. Injuries in the thoracic region usually affect
the chest and the legs and result in paraplegia.
The vertebrae in the lower back are known as the Lumbar
Vertebrae. Damage to one of these five vertebra will result
in loss of control of the legs, bladder, bowel and sexual
functions.
The Sacral Vertebrae are the five vertebrae that run from
the pelvis to the end of the spinal column. Injury to
this region generally results in some loss of functioning
in the legs and difficulty with bowel, bladder and sexual
control.
How common are spinal cord injuries?
Approximately 450,000 people in the United States have
sustained spinal cord injuries, with more than 10,000
new cases of SCI emerging in the U.S. every year. Males
account for 82 percent of all SCI's and females for 18
percent.
What are the leading causes of spinal cord injuries?
Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of SCI (44
percent), followed by acts of violence (24 percent), falls
(22 percent), sports injuries (8 percent), and other causes
(2 percent).
What are the signs of a spinal cord injury?
• Extreme pain or pressure in the neck, head or back
• Tingling or loss of sensation in the hand, fingers,
feet, or toes
• Partial or complete loss of control over any part
of the body
• Impaired breathing after injury
• Unusual bumps on the head or spine
What is the survival rate for spinal cord injury victims?
Overall, 85 percent of SCI patients who survive the first
24 hours following injury are alive 10 years later.
What treatments are available for spinal cord injuries?
Currently, there is no cure for spinal cord injuries.
However, ongoing research to test surgical and drug therapies
are progressing more rapidly than ever before. Therapeutic
techniques, nerve cell transplantation, nerve regeneration,
decompression surgery, and complex drug therapies are
all being examined as a means to overcome the effects
of spinal cord injury.
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