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Symptoms of spinal cord injury may include loss of muscle function, sensation, or autonomic function in the parts of the body served by the spinal cord below the level of the injury. Injury can occur at any level of the spinal cord and can be complete, with a total loss of sensation and muscle function at lower sacral segments, or incomplete ...
Patients with spinal cord injury due to trauma tend to have other life-threatening traumatic injuries or complications of spinal cord injury such as neurogenic shock [12] that take precedence to repair of the spine. [6] Thus, spinal motion restriction should be maintained while other medical interventions are begun. [6]
A disc herniation or spinal disc herniation is an injury to the intervertebral disc between two vertebrae, usually caused by excessive strain or trauma to the spine. It may result in back pain , pain or sensation in different parts of the body, and physical disability .
Clearing the cervical spine is the process by which medical professionals determine whether cervical spine injuries exist, mainly regarding cervical fracture. It is generally performed in cases of major trauma. This process can take place in the emergency department or in the field by appropriately trained EMS personnel.
SCIWORA may present as a complete spinal cord injury (total loss of sensation and function below the lesion) or incomplete spinal cord injury (some sensation and/or function is preserved). It is present in a significant number of children with SCI. [6] Notably, the clinical symptoms can present with a delay of hours to days after the trauma.
A spinal board is primarily indicated for judicious use to transport people who may have had a spinal injury, usually due to the mechanism of injury, and the attending team are not able to rule out a spinal injury. [11] The person should be transferred from the board to a hospital bed as soon as possible. [11]
Diagnosis of a back injury begins with a physical examination and thorough medical history by health-care personnel. [8] [14] Some injuries, such as sprains and strains or herniated discs, can be diagnosed in this manner. To confirm these diagnoses, or to rule out other injuries or pathology, imaging of the injured region can be ordered.
Most types of spinal fracture confer a significant risk of spinal cord injury. After the immediate trauma, there is a risk of spinal cord injury (or worsening of an already injured spine) if the fracture is unstable , that is, likely to change alignment without internal or external fixation .