This page has moved. Click here to view. While spinal cord damage may result from whiplash injury, severe injury usually relates to fracture-dislocation causing compression or angular deformity of the cord either cervically or in the lower thoracic and upper lumbar regions. Extreme hypotension following injury may also lead to cord infarction. Total cord transection results in immediate flaccid paralysis and loss of sensation below the level of the lesion.
Reflex activity is lost for a variable period, and there is urinary and fecal retention.
The bladder and bowels also regain some reflex With lesser degrees of injury, patients may be left with mild limb weakness, distal sensory disturbance, or both. Sphincter function may also be impaired, urinary urgency and urgency incontinence being especially common. More particularly, a unilateral cord lesion leads to a A central cord syndrome may lead to a lower motor neuron deficit and loss of pain and temperature appreciation, with sparing of posterior column functions. A radicular deficit may occur at the level of the injury C or, if the cauda equina is involved, there may be evidence of Treatment of the injury consists of immobilization and C if there is cord compression C decompressive laminectomy and fusion.