Which of the following presentations can indicate spinal cord injury?

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Multiple Choice

Which of the following presentations can indicate spinal cord injury?

Spinal cord injury can present in a range of patterns depending on how and where the spinal cord is damaged. A complete loss of sensory and motor function below the injury shows a classic complete spinal cord injury, where all pathways below the lesion are disrupted, leading to total loss of function beneath the level of injury. Weakness and abnormal sensation in the upper extremities with normal function in the lower extremities reflects an incomplete injury, often in the cervical region. This can occur with patterns like central cord syndrome, where the nerve tracts serving the arms are more affected than those serving the legs. A pattern where there is loss of function on one side of the body and loss of pain and temperature on the opposite side is Brown-Séquard syndrome, due to hemisection of the cord. The motor and position sense are lost on the same side as the injury, while pain and temperature are lost on the opposite side. Because each described presentation can arise from spinal cord damage, all of the above presentations can indicate a spinal cord injury.

Spinal cord injury can present in a range of patterns depending on how and where the spinal cord is damaged.

A complete loss of sensory and motor function below the injury shows a classic complete spinal cord injury, where all pathways below the lesion are disrupted, leading to total loss of function beneath the level of injury.

Weakness and abnormal sensation in the upper extremities with normal function in the lower extremities reflects an incomplete injury, often in the cervical region. This can occur with patterns like central cord syndrome, where the nerve tracts serving the arms are more affected than those serving the legs.

A pattern where there is loss of function on one side of the body and loss of pain and temperature on the opposite side is Brown-Séquard syndrome, due to hemisection of the cord. The motor and position sense are lost on the same side as the injury, while pain and temperature are lost on the opposite side.

Because each described presentation can arise from spinal cord damage, all of the above presentations can indicate a spinal cord injury.

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