How do spinal injuries affect the body? Why?

Question

How do spinal injuries affect the body? Why?

Answer 1

Your spinal chord is a direct extension of your brain.  It is protected by the spinal canal, which is made up of bones (vertebrae).  If the spinal chord is injured say through a fracture the brain can not relay signals to the body anymore.  Different levels of the spinal chord control different levels of the bodys functions, the higher or closer to the brain the more damage.  For example a low back lesion will affect the lower extremities (legs), a neck injury will affect the legs and arms, an injury closer to the brain (upper neck)  will alter breathing also.  If injury is significant enough it could also cause death.

Answer 2

The spinal cord basically transmits nerves going to and from the brain to the rest of the body but it also serves as a center for many involuntary reflexes.

If there was a mere injury to the VERTEBRAL COLUMN without damage t the cord, while it would be painful, there would no long lasting affect, unless a hematoma developed and caused compression and destruction of the axons (nerves)

In chord injuries, there is an immediate loss of motor (muscle) function as well as sensory loss over dermatomes supplied spinal segment nerves bellow the level of injury.

In addition, due to damage to Autonomic adrenergic fibers, which maintain the tone of blood vessels, there will be vasodilation and consequently a drop in blood pressure, which if not treated promptly CAN BE FATAL!

After an acute spinal chord trauma, the pathological process goes through  phases

1 0-1d Areflexia/Hyporeflexia

2 1-3d Initial reflex return

3 1-4w Hyperreflexia (initial)

4 1-12m Hyperreflexia, Spasticity

Autonomic functions eventually return to normal, but UNFORTUNATELY voluntary movements and sensation NEVER recover, at least no fully.