SPINAL CORD INJURY

Description/definition

According to Mayo Clinic (2019), A spinal cord injury is damage to any part of the spinal cord or
nerves at the end of the spinal canal (cauda equina) — often causes permanent changes in strength,
sensation and other body functions below the site of the injury.

Risk Factors/Etiology

Types of Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injuries can be divided into two types of injury – complete spinal cord injury vs. incomplete:

 Complete spinal cord injury - causes permanent damage to the area of the spinal cord that is
affected. Paraplegia or tetraplegia are results of complete spinal cord injuries.
 Incomplete spinal cord injury - partial damage to the spinal cord. The ability to move and the
amount of feeling depends on the area of the spine injured and the severity of the injury.
Outcomes are based on a patient’s health and medical history.

Levels of Spinal Cord Injury

There are four sections of the spinal cord: cervical, thoracic, lumbar and
sacral. Each section of the spine protects different groups of nerves that
control the body. The types and severity of spinal cord injuries can depend
on the section of the spine that is injured.

Review of anatomy and Physiology

The spinal cord is the major bundle of nerves that carries nerve
impulses to and from the brain to the rest of the body. The brain and the
spinal cord constitute the central nervous system. Motor and sensory
nerves outside the central nervous system constitute the peripheral
nervous system. Another diffuse system of nerves that controls involuntary
functions, such as blood pressure and temperature regulation, are called
the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.

The spinal cord is about 18 inches long and extends from the base
of the brain, down the middle of the back, to about the waist. The nerves
that lie within the spinal cord are upper motor neurons (UMNs), and their function is to carry the
messages back and forth from the brain to the spinal nerves along the spinal tract. The spinal nerves
that branch out from the spinal cord to the other parts of the body are called lower motor neurons
(LMNs).

These spinal nerves exit and enter at each vertebral level and communicate with specific areas
of the body. The sensory portions of the LMN carry messages about sensation from the skin and other
body parts and organs to the brain. The motor portions of the LMN send messages from the brain to the
various body parts to initiate actions such as muscle movement.

Surrounding the spinal cord are rings of bone called vertebra, which make up the spinal column.
Pathophysiology

Laboratory and Diagnostic tests/procedures

Medical/surgical management

Nursing management