Pediatric Spinal Cord
Injuries
Most spinal cord injury
causes permanent
disability or loss of
movement (paralysis) and
sensation below the site
of the injury. Paralysis
that involves the
majority of the body,
including the arms and
legs, is called
quadriplegia. When a
spinal cord injury
affects only the lower
body, the condition is
called paraplegia.
Treating children with
spinal cord injuries
Spinal cord injuries
are typically caused by
accidents, especially
motor vehicle accidents,
or other trauma. Other
causes include tumors,
infections or vascular
insufficiency.
The goal of
rehabilitation is to
maximize the child's
functions and to help the
child return as an active
participant in the
community.
We place a special
emphasis on helping to
integrate the child at
home and in school
through a team that
coordinates care with
agencies and other care
providers in the child's
home community.
Because children
continue to grow and
develop over time, we
provide ongoing
rehabilitative care and
monitoring to help
children reach their full
potential. Since the
effects of a spinal cord
injury are lifelong,
children need ongoing
monitoring to maintain
function and prevent
complications, as well as
adjust to changing needs
based on their growth and
development.
We are dedicated to
providing comprehensive
treatment to help
children with spinal cord
injuries be as
independent as possible
and reach their full
potential. We offer
family focused and
child-centered care that
covers the continuum of
needs from birth to young
adulthood.
Signs
and
Symptoms
Spinal
cord
injury
symptoms
depend
on
two
factors:
- The location of the injury. In general, injuries that are higher in your spinal cord produce more paralysis. For example, a spinal cord injury at the neck level may cause paralysis in both arms and legs and make it impossible to breathe without a respirator, while a lower injury may affect only your legs and lower parts of your body.
- The severity of the injury. Spinal cord injuries are classified as partial or complete, depending on how much of the cord width is damaged.
In
a
partial
spinal
cord
injury,
which
may
also
be
called
an
incomplete
injury,
the
spinal
cord
is
able
to
convey
some
messages
to or
from
your
brain.
So
people
with
partial
spinal
cord
injury
retain
some
sensation
and
possibly
some
motor
function
below
the
affected
area.
A
complete
spinal
cord
injury
is
defined
by
total
or
near-total
loss
of
motor
function
and
sensation
below
the
area
of
injury.
However,
even
in a
complete
injury,
the
spinal
cord
is
almost
never
completely
cut
in
half.
Doctors
use
the
term
"complete"
to
describe
a
large
amount
of
damage
to
the
spinal
cord.
It's
a key
distinction
because
many
people
with
partial
spinal
cord
injuries
are
able
to
experience
significant
recovery,
while
those
with
complete
injuries
are
not.
Our goal is to provide a
systematic, comprehensive
and multidisciplinary
approach to meet all the
needs of
traumatic brain injured
children and their
families throughout the
continuum of
resuscitation through
rehabilitation.
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