What’s the Difference Between Paraplegia and Quadriplegia?
Spinal cord injuries are among the most catastrophic injuries one can experience from a traumatic incident. However, they vary pretty widely in terms of severity. The injury’s completeness and location determine the extent and severity.
Two medical terms you may see associated with these injuries are “paraplegia” and “quadriplegia.” These words broadly describe where the victim will experience symptoms. However, wildly different outcomes can be observed even within the context of these terms.
Classification of Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal cord injuries have many characteristics, including the following:
Severity
The severity of a spinal cord injury depends on the extent of the damage to the spinal nerves. A lacerated spinal nerve can’t carry any nervous impulses. As a result, the patient will have no sensation or motor control below the level of the injury.
By contrast, a compressed or stretched spinal nerve becomes damaged and inflamed. However, since the nerve cells are still whole, the individual may still have sensation and/or motor control below the level of the injury.
They may experience the following symptoms instead:
- Weakness
- Loss of dexterity or coordination
- Numbness
- Tingling
Importantly, a compressed or stretched nerve may also allow the brain to rewire itself to recover some control. Specifically, the brain may use intact nerves to send and receive signals that the damaged nerves can’t carry.
Severity can also refer to the extent of the damage. A certain number of spinal nerves pass through each vertebra, and an injury can affect some or all of these nerves. If not all of the nerves are impacted, the victim might retain some functions.
Level
The level of the injury determines which of the spinal nerves might be affected.
The spine can be divided into three distinct segments. The cervical spine is in the neck. Since it sits just below the skull, all the spinal nerves for the shoulders, arms, legs, chest, and abdomen pass through its vertebrae.
The thoracic spine is in the upper back behind the chest, and the lumbar spine is in the lower back behind the abdomen. Since these segments sit lower in the spine, the nerves for the arms and shoulders have already exited, and only the nerves for the lower body pass through the vertebrae at this point.
This means that the level of the injury will determine which parts of the body will feel the injury’s effects. For example, damage to the thoracic or lumbar region will only affect the chest, abdomen, hips, or legs.
Paraplegia
Paraplegia is the term for an injury to the thoracic or lumbar spine. If you’ve ever heard someone talk about being “paralyzed from the waist down,” they were likely referring to paraplegia.
People with paraplegia retain their ability to control their arms and shoulders. Depending on the level of the injury, they may have some sensation in their chest and abdomen. However, they experience symptoms in their lower extremities.
Paraplegia can range in terms of severity. An incomplete injury might only cause weakness or range of motion losses, while a complete injury might result in total paralysis of the hips and legs.
These injuries can occur in almost any type of accident. However, some common causes include falls where the victim lands on their back, such as slip-and-fall accidents.
Quadriplegia
Quadriplegia is also known as tetraplegia. These words contain the prefixes “tetra” and “quad,” meaning “four.” Hence, they refer to injuries that affect all four limbs. The extent of the symptoms depends on how many spinal nerves are affected and how severely they’re damaged.
Quadriplegia occurs when the victim suffers an injury to the cervical spine. Car accidents and other high-energy events can damage the neck severely enough to cause quadriplegia.
Contact the Charlotte Personal Injury Lawyers at Chandler Volta Personal Injury Lawyers for Help Today
Quadriplegia and paraplegia can have far-reaching outcomes. Those with either condition often require external care and support to live their daily lives. Consequently, these injuries are frequently the basis for high-stakes personal injury lawsuits.
If you’ve been injured by someone else’s negligence, the team at Chandler Volta Personal Injury Lawyers is here to help. Contact us today for a free consultation with a Charlotte personal injury attorney.
For more information, contact an experienced personal injury lawyer at Chandler Volta Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free consultation.
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