Withy King Solicitors has successfully represented many who have suffered a spinal injury. Some have injuries to the upper or cervical region of the spine (the neck). Others have injuries to the thoracic and lumbar spine affecting the lower limbs and the rest of the body. We have acted for many who, as a result of their injuries have been injured at the highest level and are subsequently ventilator dependent as they are unable to breathe for themselves or have undergone phrenic pacer surgery which allows them more independence in breathing assisted by technology.
A spinal cord injury occurs when there is damage, disease or trauma to the cells or nerve signals in the spinal cord that in turn results in the inability to control movement and a loss or impaired function which results in reduced mobility or feeling. The results can range from loss of feeling in parts of the body through to severe cases of Paraplegia, Tetraplegia and full body paralysis.
Anatomy of the Spinal Cord:
The central nervous system consists of the brain and the spinal cord that carries nerve impulses to and from the brain from the rest of the body. Working together they transmit messages such as telling a part of the body to move, sending and receiving messages to warn the body of pain and other sensations and making the body aware of bodily functions such as temperature control. All information travelling from the brain to the limbs goes via the spinal cord so when an injury occurs to the spinal cord these messages are distorted and subsequently sensation and movement is impaired or, in some cases, severed completely.
The spinal cord is protected by ring shaped bones (vertebrae) which, when placed on top of each other, make up the vertebral column. In the middle of each of these discs is the spinal canal through which the spinal cord passes.
The spinal cord is divided into the following sections:-
CERVICAL: The neck area (C1 to C8) which controls movement of the neck, shoulders, arms and wrists and enables us to breathe independently
THORACIC: The chest area (T1 to T12) which controls the muscles of the ribs, chest and abdomen
LUMBAR: The lower back area (L1 to L5) which controls movement of the muscles in the legs
SACRAL: The area at the base of the spine where five sacral vertebrae (S1 to S5) are fused together. Controls the bladder and bowel and sexual function.
Paraplegia occurs when there is damage to the thoracic, lumbar or sacral vertebrae which often results in loss of feeling and movement in the lower limbs and parts of the body.
Tetraplegia results when there is damage to the cervical vertebrae and spinal cord in the neck which can subsequently cause loss of feeling and movement in the upper body, arms, hands and legs.
The effects of spinal cord injury:
The amount of sensation and movement that can be felt after a spinal injury depends upon the extent of the level of injury. Every spinal cord injury is different and the outcome depends, to a large degree, on the extent that the spinal cord has been damaged. The trauma received to the spinal cord will result in the nerves above the point of injury remaining the same but the transmission signals below the point of injury will not be able to travel up and down the spinal cord and relay messages to the rest of the body.
A spinal cord injury can either be ‘incomplete’ or ‘complete’. An ‘incomplete’ injury occurs when the nerve fibres have not been completely damaged so some function and sensation may be felt below the level of injury. A ‘complete’ injury occurs when there is a total loss of function and sensation below the level of injury.
Facts about Spinal Injury:
- Approximately 700 people a year suffer a spinal cord injury.
- It is estimated that there are 40,000 people with spinal cord injury in the UK alone.
- The main causes of spinal injury are trauma (road traffic accident, gunshots, sporting injuries, accidental falls etc) or disease (for example Transverse Myelitis, Polio etc).
- Since 1988 45% of all spinal injuries have been complete and 55% have been incomplete.
