complications after spinal cord injury

ryden · Silver Member Joined: 25 Mar 2002 Posts: 293

What complications can occur after spinal cord injury? I want to know what organs are affected by the spinal cord injury. One girl I know had terrible fall and she hurt her spine cord. She is in hospital still. I need this information…please…if anyone knows. She has been having breathing problems as I understood.

macari · Newbie Joined: 01 Jul 2005 Posts: 11

The windpipe and lungs are not typically affected by a spinal cord injury, but respiratory problems may occur when the signals sent from the brain can no longer flow through the spinal cord to control the respiratory muscles. The amount of muscle control that is lost after a spinal cord injury depends on the level of the injury. Patients with injuries below the T12 level do not usually lose any control of the four respiratory muscle groups needed for breathing. However, patients with complete thoracic or cervical injuries do experience a loss of their respiratory muscle control. Injuries in the thoracic area (T1-T12) of the spinal cord affect the control of the intercostal and abdominal muscles. A lower level of injury, such as a T10, results in the individual losing a small amount of muscle control, but with a higher level of injury, T2, individuals will lose most of their intercostal and abdominal muscle control. The injuries in the cervical region usually result in a total loss of intercostal and abdominal muscle control, so the higher the level of injury, the greater the loss of additional muscle control.

complications after spinal cord injury

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