Spinal cord injuries occur when trauma damages the nerves connecting your brain to your body. The most severe injuries happen when the spinal nerves in the neck are severed, often leading to partial or total paralysis below the neck. Unfortunately, severed nerves cannot heal or be reconnected, resulting in permanent disabilities. Individuals with such injuries face a lifetime of medical care, therapy, and, in severe cases, reliance on caregivers.
The Nervous System’s Role
Your nervous system controls your entire body. The brain gathers information through your senses and sends signals down the spinal cord to regulate everything from muscle movement to organ function. The spinal cord consists of 31 pairs of nerves, branching from the spinal canal at different vertebrae, with each pair controlling specific parts of the body.
In the neck, the cervical spine contains seven vertebrae (C1–C7) with eight nerve roots. These nerves control muscles in the shoulders, chest, and arms. Damage to this area can disrupt the vital connection between the brain and body.
What Causes Quadriplegia?
Quadriplegia, or paralysis of all four limbs, happens when the spinal cord is severed in the neck. Causes include:
- Penetrating Injury: A foreign object, such as in a surgical error, may sever the spinal cord.
- Fractured Neck: Broken neck bones can dislocate and damage the spinal cord, which is why EMTs stabilize the neck after accidents to prevent worsening the injury.
Types of Quadriplegia
Doctors classify quadriplegia based on:
- Injury Level: The higher the injury, the more critical the effects. For example, an injury at the C1 level can paralyze chest muscles needed for breathing, often causing death without immediate medical intervention.
- Completeness of the Injury:
- Complete Injury: All spinal nerves are severed, causing total paralysis and loss of sensation below the injury level.
- Incomplete Injury: Some nerves remain intact, allowing partial movement or sensation. Recovery of some functions is possible due to the brain’s ability to rewire connections (neuroplasticity).
Symptoms of Quadriplegia
The severity of symptoms depends on the injury’s level and completeness. A complete injury results in total paralysis below the injury, while an incomplete injury can cause:
- Weakness
- Loss of fine motor control
- Muscle stiffness and spasms
- Limp muscles
Injury Levels and Effects
- C1–C2: Often fatal due to paralysis of chest muscles, causing an inability to breathe.
- C3: Survivable with breathing support; therapy may restore some independence in breathing, but paralysis of all four limbs remains.
- C4–C8: Lower injuries allow greater control of shoulders, arms, wrists, and hands, depending on the injury’s location.
Seeking Compensation for Quadriplegia
Quadriplegia can be caused by medical malpractice. There are a variety of ways that medical malpractice can cause someone’s quadriplegia. Sometimes this occurs as a result of a surgical error, a failure to timely diagnose and treat compression on the spinal cord, or even excessive manipulation by a chiropractor. If someone else’s negligence or intentional actions caused a spinal cord injury, you may be entitled to financial compensation. Family members can also seek wrongful death compensation if a loved one dies from such an injury.
If you have concerns that medical malpractice may have caused your loved one’s quadriplegia, get a free consultation from the Atlanta Medical Malpractice Lawyers at The Moses Firm in Atlanta, GA.