Questions and Answers on Spinal Cord Injuries

We want you to be educated about spine injuries. We also want to provide resources for you, your family, and your loved ones who have suffered a spinal injury.

How is Spinal Cord Injury Defined?

Spinal injury describes any abuse of the nerves within the spinal cord - a column of nerve fibers that generates physical sensation, movement, and many functions we take for granted, such as respiration and perspiration. The spinal cord is protected by segments of bones called the vertebral or spinal column. Losses of many functions can follow a spinal cord injury, depending on the location and seriousness of the injury.

What are Causes of Spinal Injury?

Typical causes of spinal cord injuries are motor vehicle accidents, work site accidents, unsafe products, and falls on unsafe premises. Regardless of the conditions that triggered the injury, attorney Joseph A. Fried[Link to Attorney Profiles Page] can help you and your family understand the details of what's happened to you, and explain all the legal remedies available to you.

What are the spinal cord and the vertebra?

The spinal cord is about 18 inches long and extends from the base of the brain, down the back, and ends near the waist. The spinal cord is the bundle of nerves that carries impulses to and from the brain to the rest of the body. The brain and the spinal cord make up the Central Nervous System.

The spinal cord is surrounded by bone called vertebra. The vertebra constitute the spinal column, which many people call “back bones.” Usually, the higher in the spinal column an injury occurs, the more dysfunction a person will suffer. The vertebra are named according to their location. The eight vertebra in the neck are called the cervical vertebra. The top vertebra is called C-1, the next one down is C-2—continuing to C-8. Cervical SCI's usually cause loss of function in the arms and legs, resulting in quadriplegia. The twelve vertebra in the chest are called the thoracic vertebra. The first thoracic vertebra, T-1, is the vertebra where the top rib attaches. Injuries in the thoracic region usually affect the chest and the legs and result in paraplegia. The vertebra in the lower back between the thoracic vertebra, where the ribs attach, and the pelvis (the “hip bone”), are the lumbar vertebra (L-1 thru L-5).

The sacral vertebra (S-1 thru S-5) run from the pelvis to the end of the spinal column. Injuries to the lumbar vertebra and to the sacral vertebra generally result in some loss of functioning in the hips and legs.

What is Spinal Cord Injury?

Spinal Cord Injury (sometimes referred to as “SCI”) is damage to the spinal cord that results in a loss of bodily function. When the spinal cord is injured, the ability of the brain to communicate with the body below the level of the injury may be reduced or totally lost.

SCI is usually caused by trauma (car accident, falls, and physical assaults – to name a few) or disease. The level of the spinal cord injury refers to the vertebra that the injury is closest to. For example, an injury to the spinal cord at the level of the second cervical vertebra would be referred to as a C2 injury (“C” for cervical). An injury to the cord between the C2 and C3 vertebrae would be called a C2-3 injury. A T6 injury occurs at the level of the 6th thoracic (T) vertebra. An L2 injury occurs at the level of the second lumbar (L) vertebra.

How does a Spinal Cord Injury Happen?

The spinal cord is surrounded by the vertebrae, which usually protect the soft spinal cord from injury. The cord runs through the oval shaped opening in the vertebra. The vertebrae are stacked on top of one other and separated by soft “discs” that serve as shock absorbers for the spine. However, if a vertebra is broken and a piece of the broken bone presses into the soft spinal cord, the cord may be injured. The cord can also be injured if the vertebrae, which are normally held in place by strong ligaments and muscles, are pushed or pulled out of alignment, even if the vertebrae are not fractured.

Diagnosing a Spinal Cord Injury

When a person has had significant trauma to the head or neck, a spinal cord injury must be suspected until ruled out. Precautions should be taken by medical personnel to immobilize the spine (a backboard and neck collar is typically used) until a physician has performed an examination. X-rays of the spine may be taken to look for any damage to the vertebrae. If a patient has symptoms or findings of a spinal cord injury, a CT scan or MRI should be performed. Those scans show much more detail than an X-ray.

What are the Effects of SCI?

The effects of SCI depend on the type of injury and the level of the injury. SCI can be divided into two types of injury - complete and incomplete. A complete injury means that there is no function below the level of the injury; no sensation and no voluntary movement. Both sides of the body are equally affected. An incomplete injury means that there is some functioning below the primary level of the injury.

The higher (meaning closer to the head) the spinal cord injury is, the greater the area of the body that may be affected. For example, a person with a T10 injury may lose use of his or her legs but his or her arms will not be affected. Someone with a C4 injury may lose use of his or her legs and arms.

addition to a loss of sensation or motor functioning, individuals with SCI also experience other changes. For example, high injuries (C-1, C-2) can result in a loss of many involuntary functions including the ability to breathe, necessitating breathing aids such as mechanical ventilators.

Is there a cure for SCI?

Presently there is no known cure for SCI.

Do people with SCI ever get better?

With many injuries, especially incomplete injuries, the individual may recover some functioning. Only a very small fraction of individuals who suffer SCIs recover all functioning.

Do People with SCI Die Sooner?

Unfortunately, the statistics say yes. Overall, approximately 85% of SCI patients who survive the first 24 hours are still alive 10 years later. The most common cause of death is due to diseases of the respiratory system. Pneumonia is the single leading cause of death throughout the entire 15-year period following SCI.

The second leading cause of death is non-ischemic heart disease. These are usually unexplained heart attacks often occurring among young persons who have no previous history of underlying heart disease.

You deserve fair and just compensation for your pain and suffering, time lost from your job, and any other essential need related to you or your loved one’s serious spine, spinal cord, back, or neck injury. Contact the Law Offices of Joseph A. Fried in Atlanta or Peachtree City immediately, by local or toll-free phone call, fax, or e-mail to arrange for a free initial consultation.