1. What is spinal cord injury?

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a kind of transverse damage of spinal cord caused by various pathogenic factors (trauma, inflammation, tumor, etc.), resulting in the impairment of spinal nerve function (motor, sensory, sphincter and vegetative nerve function) below the level of injury.

2. How to deal with the emergency scene of spinal cord injury?

If there is a wound, should be urgently bandaged, and should not easily turn over the injured, there is cerebrospinal fluid leakage to thickening bandaged. To dyspnea and coma, we should clean up oral secretions in time to keep respiratory tract unobstructed.

In the process of first-aid transportation, attention must be paid to keeping the head, neck and trunk of the injured straight, and the spine must not be flexed or twisted. In particular, cervical spine injuries should be carefully handled and fixed. Do not lift your head, torso, or sit up. A flat stretcher or door panel is preferred. Antibiotics should be properly administered when there is a wound or possible infection. At the same time, the prevention and treatment of other parts of the injury, to prevent urinary tract infection and respiratory complications. For high paraplegia should take early tracheotomy if necessary; On the way for a long time to transport, hard objects should be removed from the wounded’ pocket, etc., to prevent pressure sores. After emergency treatment, they should be sent to the hospital immediately.

3. What is the main function of the normal spinal cord?

The spinal cord is a connecting channel between the brain and the peripheral nerves. Commands from the brain pass through the spinal cord to the peripheral nerves to complete the body's movement, sensation and control of urine and feces.

4. Results after spinal cord injury?

After spinal cord injury, passing it the brain's ability to control the motor and sensory instruction to reduce loss, even cause damage below the plane of sensory, motor dysfunction, abnormal reflection and incontinence or retention of the corresponding pathological changes, it is often said that the "tetraplegia" (refers to the cervical spinal cord injury (sci) and "paraplegia" (thoracic and lumbar spinal cord injury) .

5. What is incomplete spinal cord injury and what is complete spinal cord injury?

Incomplete injury: if the injury is found below the level of the nerve to include the lowest part of the sacral retained sensory and motor function, this injury is incomplete, sacral sensation includes anal mucosa skin junction and deep anal sensation. The motor function test is a finger anal test to determine active contraction of the external anal sphincter.

Complete injury: complete loss of sacral sensory and motor functions.

6. From the perspective of morbidity, what is the age distribution of spinal cord injury patients in China?

The average age of traumatic spinal cord injury is approximately 30 years. It is more commonly seen in two groups of people, one is young and middle-aged, more engaged in sports, and the other group is 50-60 years old, most of these people because of spinal cord injury caused by falls. Thus, the age span of spinal cord injury jumps from young adulthood to old age, with relatively few middle ages and fewer children.

7. What is the incidence of spinal cord injury?

The incidence of traumatic spinal cord injury is about 60 per million. Altogether, the literature reports a rate of 6 to 20 parts per 100,000. About 70,000 to 80,000 new spinal cord injuries occur every year in China. Add in an average life expectancy of about 30 years after injury, and that adds up to a significant number of people with spinal cord injury.

8. Why should special emphasis be placed on rehabilitation for patients with spinal cord injury?

Because after spinal cord injury the early problem is spinal instability, there may be a significant number of patients need surgery to solve this problem once after spinal instability, because we are now less opportunity to promote spinal cord regeneration, which will be left with the function of the primary barriers, such as paralysis, and secondary dysfunction, such as: Renal calculus, pressure ulcers, joint dysfunction, sexual dysfunction, fertility problems, etc. These can not be solved simply by taking medicine or surgery, but must be through certain rehabilitation training, through improvement, compensation and alternative ways, so that patients with spinal cord injury can as far as possible to restore their self-care ability and improve the quality of life, which is very important.

9. When does spinal cord injury rehabilitation usually begin?

The rehabilitation treatment begin the sooner the better in stable clinical situation. For example, after spinal surgery, the rehabilitation can start after the process of rescue. early rehabilitation process is not to take very complex measures or violent exercise, can prevent the occurrence of some complications, so the earlier the better.