If you have a loved one who was involved in an accident, they may have sustained some type of spinal cord injury. There are many different types of spinal cord injuries with varying levels of severity. One of the most serious forms of spinal cord injury that a person may sustain is complete trauma. This results in permanent paralysis. If your loved one suffered complete traumatic trauma, they might face a few different types of conditions. Two common conditions are complete traumatic paraplegia and complete tetraplegia. You can learn more about these issues here.
What is Complete Traumatic Paraplegia?
When a person suffers from complete traumatic paraplegia, they experience a permanent loss of both sensation and movement at T1 or below. As I have mentioned on another page, there are several different parts to the spinal cord anatomy. The T levels in the spinal cord correspond to the thoracic spinal cord. This area of the spinal cord contains 12 vertebrae that affect different parts of the body. The T1 vertebrae handles wrist and forearm control. The rest of the vertebrae affect body parts as follows:
- T2 affects the posterior aspects of the upper arms
- T3 affects the chest (pectoral region)
- T4-T8 control the other muscles in the trunk of a person’s body and their chest
- T9-T12 are transition vertebrae, and they can affect the lower body.
Complete traumatic paraplegia means that most of a person’s upper body will be affected, and their lower body may be affected as well if the T9-T12 vertebrae are damaged. In addition, damage to these vertebrae can mean issues with respiratory function, abdominal control, and balance.
Despite the fact that complete traumatic paraplegia will result in loss of sensation and movement of the T vertebrae, each accident and situation is different. If only some of the vertebrae are impacted, function of certain body parts may remain. For example, a person with this condition may still retain some trunk function if the T9-T12 vertebrae are not seriously damaged.
A person with this condition also may be able to walk with some assistance. Even if their legs are paralyzed, if they retain abdominal function, they can use their abdominals to propel them forward. This, with the help of crutches or a walker, may allow a person to get around on their own.
What is Complete Tetraplegia?
Complete tetraplegia also results in complete loss of movement and sensation of certain body parts. With this condition, the limbs are affected. Complete tetraplegia affects the cervical spinal cord. This part of the spine contains eight vertebrae. They affect different body parts as follows:
- C1 and C2 vertebrae support a person’s head and allow it to move. Injury to the C1 and/or C2 vertebrae are the most severe of any spinal cord injury. Trauma to this area can result in full paralysis of the body and even death.
- C3, C4, and C5 vertebrae are located in the neck. Injury to the C3 vertebrae affects extension and flexion of the head. Injury to the C4 vertebrae affects the diaphragm. Injury to the C5 vertebrae affects muscles in the upper arms and a person’s vocal cords.
- C6-C8 vertebrae affect movement of the arms. This includes finger movement, hand movement, wrists, triceps, etc.
Injury to the cervical spinal cord can be extremely serious. It can result in serious trauma or even death. If your loved one sustained this type of injury and has complete tetraplegia, you should work closely with a doctor on a treatment plan.
Getting Help
As you can see, complete trauma results in very serious forms of paralysis. Some other types of paralysis that I’ve discussed on this website are just temporary, or they result in temporary episodes. Complete trauma, however, results in complete paralysis. This is a very serious condition and it requires a lot of care by loved ones and medical professionals.
If your loved one has sustained a complete trauma paralysis injury, you should get them help as soon as possible. Your loved one may be in intensive care for some time. This is normal, and it is best to let the doctors do whatever they need to do to treat your loved one. This might include medication, surgery, assistance breathing and eating, physical therapy, and more. Hopefully, your loved one will recover enough that you can eventually take them home and begin caring for them on your own.
Such serious injuries can take a major toll on a family. If the injuries result from someone else’s negligence, this can be particularly devastating for you and your family. In this situation, your family might want to seek justice in any way that you can. If someone else is truly at fault, they can be held responsible for your loved one’s injuries and pay back your family through compensation.
While no amount of money will undo what your family has gone through and will continue to go through, this money can help alleviate the financial burden of medical bills. For more information about recovering compensation, please contact my office.
