Is tetraplegia a spinal cord injury?
Tetraplegia is usually the result of a spinal cord or brain injury that damages nerve fibers so severely that all four limbs are paralyzed.
What is low tetraplegia?
Tetraplegia (sometimes referred to as quadriplegia) is a term used to describe the inability to voluntarily move the upper and lower parts of the body. The areas of impaired mobility usually include the fingers, hands, arms, chest, legs, feet and toes and may or may not include the head, neck, and shoulders.
What level of spinal cord injury causes tetraplegia?
Cervical spinal cord injury C1-C8 Cervical level injuries cause paralysis or weakness in both arms and legs, resulting in quadriplegia (also known as tetraplegia).
What is high tetraplegia?
Tetraplegia is caused by damage to the brain or the spinal cord at a high level. The injury, which is known as a lesion, causes victims to lose partial or total function of all four limbs, meaning the arms and the legs.
What’s the difference between quadriplegia and tetraplegia?
Tetraplegia (Concept Id: C0034372) Paralysis of all four limbs, and trunk of the body below the level of an associated injury to the spinal cord. The etiology of quadriplegia is similar to that of paraplegia except that the lesion is in the cervical spinal cord rather than in the thoracic or lumbar segments of the spinal cord.
Is there a cure or treatment for tetraplegia?
For some people with tetraplegia, the recovery of some movement in the limbs is possible. The location and severity of the injury will determine how extensive and long-lasting the symptoms are, as well as the type of treatment that may provide some relief. Currently, there is no cure for tetraplegia.
How does a cervical spinal cord injury affect tetraplegia?
Patients with tetraplegia have different clinical presentations, depending on the level of the injury. An injury of the cervical spinal cord can result in a partial or total sensory and motor loss of the four limbs and torso. An early and accurate diagnosis of lesions of the spine and cervical spinal cord in tetraplegic patients is important.
How are motor and sensory examinations used in tetraplegia?
These motor and sensory examinations could be used for the assessment of muscles strength and sensation. For the assessment of upper limb in tetraplegia, the Sollerman hand function test, Capabilities of the Upper Extremity instrument (CUE), the Motor Capacity Scale and the Tetraplegia Hand Activity Questionnaire are useful instruments.