Biology - Spinal cord and paralysis?

Question

Why do some spinal cord injuries cause leg paralysis only, yet others cause both arms and leg paralysis and yet other can cause death? How can damaging the spinal cord cause these different symptoms?

Answer 1

There are two factors the extent of the injury and the level.  Incomplete injury produces varying degrees of impairment.  more importantly, the level determinge the extent of the injury.  The nerves that control the arms are in the neck.  Back injuries will affect the legs, but not the arms.  Neck injuries will affect the arms.  High neck injuries will paralyze the muscles necessary for breathing.

Answer 2

The spinal cord is directly connected to the CNS, or Central Nervous System. This is where all motor function is conducted, The CNS is riddled with synapses that are connections between neurons, and if these connections are damaged, then the connection will no longer be complete. So, some or all motor function can be lost depending on which neurones were damaged and on which part of the spine. Most injury to spinal cord is really harmful because it's so vital to motor function.

The body can heal some damage to the neurons, but it's not typically a full-recovery. Usually someone will be partially or fully paralyzed if they take a serious blow to the spine. It does take a significant amount of neurons in order to result in paralysis, but it can still happen without too much difficulty.

Answer 3

Spinal cord injuries are caused when delicate spinal cord tissue is bruised, torn, or crushed. Spinal cord injuries can be caused by accidents, but can also be caused by diseases or disorders.

Results of Spinal Cord Injury

After the spinal cord has been injured, messages no longer flow through the damaged area, essentially cutting off information between the brain and certain parts of the body. Generally, the functions of the body located above the point of injury will continue to work with no loss of function, while the areas of the body located below the point of injury will be impaired. Impairment can include the following:

• Motor deficit

• Sensory deficit

• Breathing difficulty

• Bowel and/or bladder dysfunction

Level of Injury

Doctors and specialists use the level of injury to most accurately predict which parts of the body are most likely to be affected by loss of movement and sensation. Complete injuries will result in total loss of movement and sensation below the point of injury, while incomplete injuries will result in some degree of loss of movement and sensation below the point of injury.

The prognosis of a particular spinal cord injury varies depending upon where along the spinal column the spinal cord has been injured, the severity of the injury, and which nerve fibers are damaged. As a general rule of thumb, some recovery can be expected within the first six months following injury. After six months, additional recovery is unlikely.

Answer 4

It depends where in the spine the injury occurs.

If it destroys nerves in the lumbar region only the legs will be paralyzed. If it detroys nerves in the neck it could result in a quadriplegic. If the damage is severe enough the vital organs may not work, which would lead to death.