Causes of Spinal Cord Injury

(aka Spinal Cord Trauma, Compression of the Spinal Cord, SCI, and Cord compression)

Spinal cord trauma is damage to the spinal cord. It may result from direct injury to the cord itself or indirectly from damage to surrounding bones, tissues, or blood vessels.  They result from varied causes including, but not limited to, motor vehicle accidents, falls, sports injuries (particularly diving into shallow water), industrial accidents, gunshot wounds, assault, and other causes.

A Minor Spinal Injury:

It can cause spinal cord trauma if the spine is weakened (such as from rheumatoid arthritis or osteoporosis) or if the spinal canal protecting the spinal cord has become too narrow (spinal stenosis) due to the normal aging process.

Direct Spinal Injury:

Such as cuts, can occur to the spinal cord, particularly if the bones or the disks have been damaged. Fragments of bone (for example, from broken vertebrae, which are the spine bones) or fragments of metal (such as from a traffic accident or gunshot) can cut or damage the spinal cord.

Direct Spinal Damage:

Can occur if the spinal cord is pulled, pressed sideways, or compressed. This may occur if the head, neck, or back are twisted abnormally during an accident or injury.

Bleeding, Fluid Accumulation, and Swelling:

Can occur inside the spinal cord or outside the spinal cord (but within the spinal canal). The accumulation of blood or fluid can compress the spinal cord and damage it.

The majority of spinal cord injury occurs to healthy individuals ages 15-35 and is often the result of participation in riskier activities and/or not using proper safety equipment and/or procedures.

How do I know if there was medical malpractice?

The misdiagnosis and/or failure by health care professionals to provide proper and timely care in the case of spinal cord is medical malpractice.  Time is of the essence to treat a spinal cord injury, and negligence by health care professionals can lead to high medical bills, attendance care bills, medical equipment, and specialized care for the life of the patient.

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