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A spinal cord injury (SCI) is damage to the spinal cord that causes temporary or permanent changes in its function. It is a destructive neurological and pathological state that causes major motor, sensory and autonomic dysfunctions.
Causes can be bone fragments from a vertebral fracture, a tumor, abscess, ruptured intervertebral disc or other lesion. When acute it can cause a medical emergency independent of its cause, and require swift diagnosis and treatment to prevent long-term disability due to irreversible spinal cord injury.
Some do not develop symptoms until a few days after the injury. [3] Causes may include motor vehicle collisions, falls, sports injuries, and non accidental trauma. [3] [2] A number of underlying mechanisms are proposed including spinal cord contusion, injury to the blood supply to the spinal cord, and excessive stretching of the cord. [3]
Once the spinal injury has occurred, one of two things may happen. Firstly, hemorrhaging within the spinal cord may cause compression, which damages the spinal cord even further. Another consequence of myelomalacia is improper circulation of blood to the area damaged, resulting in further damage to the spinal cord. [citation needed]
Most deaths are attributed to massive head, neck, or thoracoabdominal injury, of which TBI accounted for between 50% and 88% and spinal cord injury between 1% and 13%. Ski fatalities occur between 0.050 and 0.196 per 100,000 participants. Head injuries represent 28.0% of all injuries in skiers and 33.5% for snowboarders. [51]
Central cord syndrome (CCS) is the most common form of cervical spinal cord injury (SCI). It is characterized by loss of power and sensation in arms and hands. It usually results from trauma which causes damage to the neck, leading to major injury to the central corticospinal tract of the spinal cord. [1]
An X-ray of the spinal canal following injection of a contrast material into the surrounding cerebrospinal fluid spaces will reveal displacement of the contrast material. It can show the presence of structures that can cause pressure on the spinal cord or nerves, such as herniated discs, tumors, or bone spurs. Because myelography involves the ...
In addition to spinal stenosis, other lower back conditions such as spondylosis, tumors, infections and herniated or ruptured discs can cause NC. These conditions contribute to the potential narrowing of the spinal cord, increasing pressure and inducing damage on the spinal nerve roots, thus, causing paing, tingling or weakness in the lower ...