Types of Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal cord injuries can be caused in many ways—by accidents, gunshots, falls, diseases such as polio or spina bifida, medications or, occasionally, by surgery or a procedure gone wrong.
Your or your family member’s injury may be the result of personal injury or medical malpractice and you might have a case. It’s advisable to contact Heimberg Barr LLP as soon as possible to work with among the best spine injury lawyers Los Angeles has to offer. The hardship that spinal cord injuries can cause is immense and a successful personal injury suit can ease the burden.
Complete and Incomplete
There are two primary types of spinal cord injuries: Complete and incomplete.
Complete spinal cord injuries refer to the types of injuries that result in complete loss of function below the level of the injury.
Incomplete spinal cord injuries are those that result in some sensation and feeling below the point of injury. The level and degree of function with incomplete injuries is highly individual and dependent upon the way in which the spinal cord has been damaged.
Types of injuries
The spine is divided into four parts: the cervical (top), thoracic (middle), lumbar (lower-middle) and sacral (bottom). The location of the injury on the spine dictates what part of the body is affected.
Cervical injuries
Cervical injuries cause quadriplegia, which is paralysis or weakness in both the arms and legs. All areas of the body at or below the level of injury or may be affected. Some conditions that can accompany cervical injuries are numbness, breathing problems and bowel, bladder and sexual dysfunction.
Thoracic injuries
Thoracic injuries are less common because the rib cage acts as a sort of protection. Thoracic spinal injuries can cause paraplegia (paralysis in the legs) along with numbness and bowel, bladder, and sexual dysfunction. The hands and arms are not usually affected in this kind of injury.
Lumbar injuries
Lumbar injuries may result in paraplegia. Numbness along with bowel, bladder, and sexual dysfunction can occur as well. The shoulders, arms, and hand function are usually unaffected.
Sacral injuries
Sacral injuries primarily cause loss of bowel and bladder function as well as sexual dysfunction. These types of injuries can cause weakness or paralysis of the hips and legs.
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