Injury or Poisoning
spinal cord injury
spi·nal cord in·ju·ry
Subclass of:
Trauma, Nervous System;
Spinal Cord Diseases;
Wounds and Injuries
Definitions related to spinal cord injuries:
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(spinal cord injury) Damage inflicted on any part of the spinal cord as the direct or indirect result of an external force, with or without disruption of structural continuity.CRISP ThesaurusNational Institutes of Health, 2006
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(spinal cord injury) Traumatic damage of the spinal cord.NCI ThesaurusU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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Penetrating and non-penetrating injuries to the spinal cord resulting from traumatic external forces (e.g., WOUNDS, GUNSHOT; WHIPLASH INJURIES; etc.).NLM Medical Subject HeadingsU.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
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Your spinal cord is a bundle of nerves that runs down the middle of your back. It carries signals back and forth between your body and your brain. A spinal cord injury disrupts the signals. Spinal cord injuries usually begin with a blow that fractures (breaks) or dislocates your vertebrae, the bone disks that make up your spine. Most injuries don't cut through your spinal cord. Instead, they cause damage when pieces of vertebrae tear into cord tissue or press down on the nerve parts that carry signals. Spinal cord injuries can be complete or incomplete. With a complete spinal cord injury, the cord can't send signals below the level of the injury. As a result, you are paralyzed below the injury. With an incomplete injury, you have some movement and sensation below the injury. A spinal cord injury is a medical emergency. Immediate treatment can reduce long-term effects. Treatments may include medicines, braces or traction to stabilize the spine, and surgery. Later treatment usually includes medicines and rehabilitation therapy. Mobility aids and assistive devices may help you to get around and do some daily tasks. NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and StrokeMedlinePlusU.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
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Spinal cord injury (SCI) is an insult to the spinal cord resulting in a change, either temporary or permanent, in its normal motor, sensory, or autonomic function. Patients with spinal cord injury usually have permanent and often devastating neurologic deficits and disability.WebMD, 2019
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A spinal cord injury - damage to any part of the spinal cord or nerves at the end of the spinal canal (cauda equina) - often causes permanent changes in strength, sensation and other body functions below the site of the injury.Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
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Spinal cord injury, any of various conditions caused by damage to the tract of nerves that extends from the base of the brain through the canal of the spinal column. Spinal cord injury often has permanent consequences for the function of body parts below the site of injury, the extent of which...Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2020
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