What is a Spinal Cord Contusion?
A spinal cord contusion is a bruise that occurs within the spinal canal. The spinal cord is one of the most important parts of the body. It travels from the bottom of the skull all the way down to the pelvis. Along the way, it carries a bundle of nerves that are wrapped together in the shape of a cord. This cord is guarded by bony segments along the way called the vertebrae. Some of the functions of these spinal nerves include:
- Powering all of the body’s motor functions including walking, writing, eating, and more
- Helping the body coordinate its limbs in space
- Aiding in various bodily functions including digestion
- Providing sensation of touch, temperature, pain, and pressure throughout the body
The spinal cord, like other areas of the body, is prone to suffering an injury in an accident. One of the spinal cord injuries that people might suffer is termed a spinal contusion.
An Overview of a Spinal Cord Contusion
A spinal cord contusion takes place when a part of the cord itself is crushed in between two hard surfaces. There are several ways that people might suffer a spinal cord contusion. These include:
- A blunt injury to the spinal cord itself in an auto accident, particularly in cases of vehicular ejection
- A slip and fall injury where an individual lands on their back
- Sustaining an injury while playing contact sports
- Being stuck underneath a falling building
- Taking a tumble down the stairs
A spinal cord contusion is always severe because this could lead to permanent nerve damage within the cord itself. A spinal contusion can typically be diagnosed by using a CT scan or an MRI. Once the injury has been diagnosed, the treatment can begin.
Treatment of a Contusion of the Spinal Cord
Unfortunately, many individuals will require surgery to repair the contusion within the canal of their spinal cord. In response to the injury, much of the tissue within the cord starts to die in a process called necrosis. This necrotic material needs to be removed by a trained back surgeon to give the rest of the cord space to heal.
Once this material has been removed, individuals need to enroll in physical therapy to help restore some of the motor and sensory functions that might have been lost. This is a long recovery process, but many spinal contusions have a good prognosis.
Watch YouTube Video: Understanding Spinal Cord Contusion. Learn in this quick video what spinal contusions are and how they are treated.
Contacting a Personal Injury Lawyer
Following a serious injury to the spinal cord, it is normal for families to have questions about what is going to happen to their loved one. Will he or she make a full recovery? Will he or she be able to return to work or school? During this difficult time, families should take the time to speak with an injury lawyer. A few of the benefits of working with a trained legal professional include:
- Having an objective professional with whom families can discuss challenging issues and make important decisions to assist in their recovery
- Guidance in pursuing damages that could be related to the injury, the accident, and any of their complications
- Access to professionals in the field of accident reconstruction who can help families recreate the mechanism of the collision
- Shifting a case to the courts when this is necessary
Help is always available, and no family should ever feel like they need to face this situation alone. Rely on the compassion of a personal injury lawyer in Sacramento. Your family might be entitled to a financial reward.
Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyers
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer. A spinal cord contusion is a serious injury that requires the immediate attention of a trained medical professional. Should you or someone you know suffer a spinal cord contusion in a motor vehicle accident, please reach out to me using (800) 404-5400 or (916) 921-6400 to receive free and friendly legal guidance and advice.
I’m proud to be an attorney in the Million Dollar Advocates Forum & the Top One Percent, which is a National Association of Distinguished Counsel.
Please take a look through the list of our older verdicts & settlements.
My guests are welcome to view our client comments at Avvo, Yelp, and Google.
:dr llo [cs 752] 0p