Spinal Cord Injury

Over 10,000 people in the US suffer a spinal cord injury, also called SCI, each year. SCI is defined as any damage to the spinal cord that results in loss of function or mobility. Such injuries can be caused by trauma or disease and can result in temporary or permanent loss of sensation, loss of movement (paralysis), or loss of bowel or bladder control. Auto accidents are the primary cause, but violence-related accidents have been increasing steadily as a cause of SCI's. Falls and sports accidents also cause many SCI's each year.

There are two types of injury, complete and incomplete. A complete injury is one in which the victim has no sensation or voluntary motor movement on either side of the body below the level of the injury. If the victim has some feeling or partial movement, it is called an incomplete injury.

Injuries are usually defined with reference to the area of the spine affected. Nerves in the spine are defined by the area of the vertebrae. For instance, an injury to the spine in the neck area will affect the cervical vertebrae, so an injury to the nerves at the fifth cervical vertebra is called a C-5 injury. Below the neck are the thoracic vertebrae, so injuries there are defined as T-1, etc. Below these are the lumbar and sacral vertebrae.

Generally speaking, neck injuries can lead to paralysis of all limbs (quadriplegia) while thoracic injuries cause paralysis to the lower limbs only (paraplegia). Both areas have variations in the amount of dysfunction, depending on the severity of the injury. An incomplete cervical injury can leave the patient with some hand use, while a complete injury at C-4 can require the patient to be on a ventilator. Thoracic injuries can leave the arms functional but interfere with walking, bowel control, bladder control, and sexual function. Other functions that can be affected are blood pressure, body temperature and pain levels.

A spinal cord injury usually involves swelling of the spinal cord, which affects the whole body. When the swelling goes down, the patient may regain function months or years after the injury, but it is rare for all functioning to be recovered. Treatment presently consists of stabilizing any broken vertebrae, maintaining the patient, preventing movement to the injured area, and reducing swelling. There is no cure for SCI but stem cell research has shown some signs of being useful in the future.

If you or a loved one has suffered a spinal cord injury that seems to have been someone else's fault, call VanDerGinst Law at 1-866-843-7367 or click here for a FREE online case evaluation. The initial consultation is free of charge. If we agree to handle your injury case, we will work on a contingency fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if, and when, there is a money recovery for you. In many cases a lawsuit must be filed before an applicable expiration date, known as a statute of limitations. So please call right away to ensure that you do not waive your right to possible compensation.

• Complete vs. Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury - What is the difference and how does it affect victims of a spinal cord injury?
  
• Glossary of Spine Terminology
• Spinal Cord Injury FAQ
• Spinal Cord Injury Statistics

Links on the Web

Spinal Cord Injuries Newswire Comprehensive Real-Time News Feed for Spinal Cord Injuries.

Sat, 31 Jul 2010 14:11:33 GMT FDA Approves Embryonic Stem Cell-Based Therapy For Patients With Acute Spinal Cord Injury MediLexicon The US FDA has lifted a clinical hold on Geron's Investigational New Drug application - the Phase I clinical trial of GRNOPC1 in patients with acute spinal cord injury may now go ahead. Click here to read this Spinal Cord Injury news article.

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 07:00:00 GMT New hope for spinal cord injury patients The News Monday, July 26, 2010 Tiny nerves taken from the rib cage, fortified with a powerful growth inducer and transplanted in the spinal cord significantly reversed paralysis in rats with spinal cord injuries. Click here to read this Spinal Cord Injury news article.

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 05:02:03 GMT Stem Cell Treatment Heals Spinal Cord Injuries In Mice Inventor Spot ... pluripotent stem) cells. The treatment, though complex and lengthy, holds out hope to those who have suffered spinal cord injuries causing varying degrees of paralysis. The researchers, led by professor Hideyuki Okano of Keio University and ... Click here to read this Spinal Cord Injury news article.

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 13:18:24 GMT Social Security Disability Benefits Can Be Crucial to Surviving With... PRWeb Belleville, Ill. -- Every 41 minutes a person in the United States sustains a spinal cord injury, resulting in 11,000 new cases each year, according to the United Spinal Association. Click here to read this Spinal Cord Injury news article.

Tue, 06 Jul 2010 18:55:35 GMT Care of the patient with cervical spine injury Nursing Center ... injuries and a higher injury severity score (ISS) and lower Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores. Injuries to the spinal cord occur at a rate of approximately 11,000 new cases annually in the United States, according to the Brain and Spinal Cord Injury ... Click here to read this Spinal Cord Injury news article.

Thu, 01 Jul 2010 10:28:10 GMT Understanding How Folic Acid Might Help Heal Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries Science Daily ... or vitamin B9) are at high risk of developing neural tube defects (i.e., defects in the development of the spinal cord or brain). This is the reason underlying the recommendation that women who are pregnant take a folic acid supplement. A team of ... Click here to read this Spinal Cord Injury news article.

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