Lecture 13 - Spinal Chord Injury - Quadriplegia

Question 1

Where does the spinal cord extend from?

Answer 1

From the medulla oblongata to L1

Question 2

What does the lower part of the spinal cord taper to form?

Answer 2

The conus medullaris

Question 3

How many pairs of spinal nerves are there?

Answer 3

31

Question 4

What kinds of spinal nerves are there?

Answer 4

Cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral, coccygeal

Question 5

How many cervical nerves are there?

Answer 5

8

Question 6

How many thoracic nerves are there?

Answer 6

12

Question 7

How many lumbar nerves are there?

Answer 7

5

Question 8

How many sacral nerves are there?

Answer 8

5

Question 9

How many coccygeal nerves are there?

Answer 9

1

Question 10

Which spinal cord root contains sensory fibers?

Answer 10

Dorsal root

Question 11

Which spinal cord root contains motor fibers?

Answer 11

Ventral root

Question 12

What does the grey matter of the spinal cord contain?

Answer 12

Sensory and motor nerve cells

Question 13

What does the white matter of the spinal cord contain?

Answer 13

Ascending/descending tracts

Question 14

What are the three tracts of the spinal column?

Answer 14

Posterior column, lateral corticospinal tract, and lateral spinothalamic tract

Question 15

What is the posterior column responsible for?

Answer 15

Fine touch, light pressure, and proprioception

Question 16

What is the lateral corticospinal tract responsible for?

Answer 16

Skilled voluntary movement

Question 17

What is the lateral spinothalamic tract responsible for?

Answer 17

Pain and temperature sensation

Question 18

What is a spinal cord injury?

Answer 18

Insult to the spinal cord resulting in a change in the normal motor, sensory, or automatic function

Question 19

What are some mechanisms of injury of a spinal cord injury?

Answer 19

Direct trauma
Compression by bone fragments/hematoma/disc material
Ischemia from damage/impingement on spinal arteries

Question 20

What is ischemia?

Answer 20

Lack of blood

Question 21

What is the leading cause of spinal cord injuries in the US?

Answer 21

Motor vehicle accidents

Question 22

What are the top four leading causes of spinal cord injuries?

Answer 22

Motor vehicle accidents, falls, violence, and sports

Question 23

What is the number one sport associated with spinal cord injuries?

Answer 23

Horseback riding

Question 24

What age group at greatest risk for spinal cord injury?

Answer 24

16 - 30 years old

Question 25

What percentage of cases occur in the age group at greatest risk for a spinal cord injury?

Answer 25

55%

Question 26

What sex is at greatest risk for spinal cord injury?

Answer 26

Male

Question 27

What percentage of spinal cord injuries are male?

Answer 27

81.6%

Question 28

What determines the signs and symptoms experienced by a spinal cord injury?

Answer 28

The level and extent of the damage

Question 29

What levels of damage can occur from a spinal cord injury?

Answer 29

Dematomes and myotomes

Question 30

What is a dermatome?

Answer 30

The area of skin innervated by sensory axons within a particular segmental nerve root

Question 31

How does a dermatome help determine the level of injury?

Answer 31

Indicates if sensory functions were damaged

Question 32

What is a myotome?

Answer 32

A segmental nerve root innervating a muscle

Question 33

How does a myotome help determine the level of injury?

Answer 33

Indicates if motor functions were damaged

Question 34

What extent of damage can occur from a spinal cord injury?

Answer 34

Complete or incomplete

Question 35

What occurs as a result of a complete spinal cord injury?

Answer 35

Loss of voluntary movement of parts innervated by segment Loss of sensation Spinal shock

Question 36

What occurs as a result of an incomplete spinal cord injury?

Answer 36

Limited function below site of injury | Recognizable patterns in injury (varied, rarely pure)

Question 37

How can spinal cord injuries be classified?

Answer 37

Quadriplegia, paraplegia, and hemiplegia

Question 38

What is quadriplegia?

Answer 38

Injury that occurs in the cervical region affecting all four extremities

Question 39

What is paraplegia?

Answer 39

Injury that occurs in the thoracic, lumbar, or sacral segments affecting two extremities

Question 40

What is heniplegia?

Answer 40

Injury that occurs affecting only one side of the body

Question 41

Is there a cure for spinal cord injury?

Answer 41

No

Question 42

What types of treatments exist for spinal cord injuries?

Answer 42

Physical therapy/assistive technology, stem cells/neurostimulation, and exoskeletons

Question 43

How are stem cells/neurostimulation used to help treat spinal cord injuries?

Answer 43

They attempt to get neurons to reattach to the spinal cord

Question 44

How are exoskeletons used to treat spinal cord injuries?

Answer 44

By placing electrodes on the spinal cord below injury site and using an impulse to stimulate muscles and cause a contraction