Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Motor function
Sensory function
Reflexes
Control of elimination
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Common Causes SCI
Breakdown
of Sports
Statistics
Breakdown of Fall
Statistics
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SCI Type
Incomplete / Partial spinal cord injury
- Spinal cord is able to convey some messages to or
from the brain. Therefore, retain some sensation and
possibly some motor function below the affected area
Complete injury
- Complete loss of motor function and sensation below
the area of injury
**** Even in a complete injury, the spinal cord is almost never completely cut in half.
Doctors use the term "complete" to describe a large amount of damage to the spinal
cord.
It's a key distinction because many people with partial spinal cord injuries are able to
experience significant recovery, while those with complete injuries are not
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Complete or Partial ?
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Compressison / Wedge Fracture
As the forces push forwards
and backwards, pressure is
applied to the front and/or
back of the spinal bones
causing damage in these
areas as indicated by the
arrow
In these injuries, direct
compression forces
downwards literally squash
the bones, resulting in a loss
of height seen on x-ray. This
x-ray also shows a chip
fracture at the front of the
lumbar vertebrae (green
arrow)
arrow (See how much
bigger and stronger this bone
is compared to the cervical
bone in the picture on the
left)
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Spinal Cord Injury
Most trauma to the spinal cord causes permanent
disability or loss of movement (paralysis) and
sensation below the site of the injury
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C4
C6
T6
L1
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SCI Causal Categories
Priorities
1. Maintaining ability to breathe
2. Preventing shock
3. Immobilization to prevent
further spinal cord damage
(Backboard & C-Collar)
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Vertebrae Commonly Involved
C5
T12
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Baseline Assessment At Scene &
Upon Arrival to ER
Maintaining BP
Multisystem support
May be sedated
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Diagnosis
X-Ray
C-Spine
FIRST !!
Swimmer’s
View
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Be Vigilant !
Spinal cord injury isn't always obvious
Mechanism of injury?
Driver / passenger / seatbelt ?
Fall height / what caused fall?
Hit where and with what?
Gunshot / impaled object ?
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Mechanism of Injury
Different
mechanism
of injury
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CT Scan
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MRI
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Continued…
MRI – For identifying herniated disks, blood clots or other
masses that may be compressing the spinal cord. But…
MRI can't be used on people with pacemakers or on trauma
victims who need certain life-support machines or cervical
traction devices
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Primary Spinal Injury
Result of initial
trauma
Injury usually
permanent
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Secondary SCI
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Secondary SCI
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SCI Disability
1. Depends on Location
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SCI Disability
2. Depends on type of injury
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Spinal Cord - Horizontal View
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American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Classification
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Incomplete / Partial SCI
Central
Anterior
Posterior
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Anterior Cord Syndrome
Damage o front 2/3 of spinal cord, loss of pain and temperature
sensation, and motor function below level of injury
Possible for some people with this injury to later recover some
movement
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Central Cord Syndrome
Usually with unbelted MVA and falls of elderly
Control over the bowel and bladder varies and may be preserved
Possible for some recovery from this type of injury, usually starting in
the legs, gradually progressing upwards
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Brown-Sequard Syndrome
Usually stab or GSW
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Posterior Cord Syndrome
Damage is towards the back of the spinal cord
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Motor (blue) and
Sensory (red) axons
in the spinal cord
and peripheral
nerves.
Sensory neurons
reside in the dorsal
root ganglia (DRG)
while Motoneurons
reside in the spinal
cord and innervate
muscle (yellow).
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SCI Goals of Care
There's no way to reverse damage
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