Paraplegia

Paraplegia is a condition where the lower half of a patient's body is paralyzed and cannot move. It is usually the result of spinal cord injury or a congenital condition such as spina bifida, but polyneuropathy may also result in paraplegia. If the arms are also paralysed, quadriplegia is a more appropriate diagnosis.

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Central nervous system: Any disease process affecting the pyramidal tract of the spinal cord from the thoracic spine downward may lead to paraplegia, as this structure transmits "instructions" for movement from the brain to the anterior horn. This is the most common cause of paraplegia. It is usually spastic: it results in an increased muscle tone in the affected limbs. Causes range from trauma (acute spinal cord injury: transsection or compression of the cord, usually by bone fragments from vertebral fractures) to tumors (chronic compression of the cord), myelitis transversa and multiple sclerosis. Sometimes, paralysis of both legs can result from injury to the brain (bilateral injury of the motor cortex controling the legs, e.g. due to a stroke or a brain tumor).

Paralyzed: REDIRECT Paralysis...

Spinal cord injury: Spinal cord injury, or myelopathy, is a disturbance of the spinal cord that results in loss of sensation and mobility. The two common types of spinal cord injury are:...

Spina bifida: Spina bifida describes birth defects caused by an incomplete closure of one or more vertebral arches of the spine, resulting in malformations of the spinal cord. The spinal membranes and spinal cord may protrude through the absence of vertebral arches (called a cleft). These malformations fall into ...