After an incomplete lesion, some feeling and movement may come back later, but if it is going to come back, it usually happens within six months of the injury. So the kinds of problems a person has from a spinal cord injury depend on two things - how high up the injury was along the spinal cord and whether the lesion was complete or incomplete. People with spinal cord injuries may have a mix of symptoms. Quadriplegia is caused by a complete lesion to the cervical area high up on the spinal cord. It means the person looses some or all of the feeling and movement in both their arms and their legs plus everything in between.
Paraplegia is caused by a complete lesion to the thoracic area lower down on the spinal cord.
It means the person loses some or all of the feeling and movement in their waist and legs. Doctors label the different places along the spinal cord by the number and type of vertebrae along the spine. As the diagram shows, a C4 injury is higher than an L2 injury and will cause more problems. People with injuries at the top, close to the brain at the C1 or C2 level, often die. If they survive, they usually need a respirator to help them breath.