Effects of Spinal Cord Injury by Location
Location of Injury* | Possible Effects† |
|---|---|
At or above C5 | Respiratory paralysis Quadriplegia |
Between C5 and C6 | Paralysis of legs, wrists, and hands Weakened shoulder abduction and elbow flexion Loss of brachioradialis deep tendon reflex |
Between C6 and C7 | Paralysis of legs, wrists, and hands, but shoulder movement and elbow flexion usually possible Loss of biceps jerk reflex |
Between C7 and C8 | Paralysis of legs and hands Loss of triceps jerk reflex |
At C8 to T1 | With transverse lesions, Horner syndrome (ptosis, miotic pupils, facial anhidrosis) Paralysis of legs |
Between T1 and L1 | Paralysis of muscles of the trunk and lower extremities Loss of sensation below the shoulders Loss of bowel and bladder control |
Cauda equina (usually about L2 to S5) | Hyporeflexic or areflexic paresis of the lower extremities Usually pain and hyperesthesia in the distribution of the affected nerve roots Usually loss of bowel and bladder control |
At S3 to S5 or conus medullaris at L1 | Complete loss of bowel and bladder control Decreased perineal sensation (saddle anesthesia) Variable degrees of leg weakness depending on location of lesion and associated injury |
* Abbreviations refer to vertebrae; the cord is shorter than the spine, so that moving down the spine, the cord segments and vertebral levels are increasingly out of alignment. | |
† Priapism, reduced rectal tone, and changes in caudal reflexes may occur with injury at any level. | |