What is the difference between a complete and incomplete SCI?

An injury to a person’s spinal cord can be a devastating and life-altering experience. While some individuals may eventually recover from their harm and live lives comparable to what they enjoyed prior to sustaining their injuries, others may never recover. Nevada residents who have endured this traumatic form of injury may be aware that there are two general categories of spinal cord injuries , being complete spinal cord injuries and incomplete spinal cord injuries.

A complete spinal cord injury is one in which the victim has no feeling or other sensory experience below the site of their injury. For example, if the victim suffered an injury to their lumbar spine and had complete loss of movement and sensation in their legs, their injury may be considered complete.

If, though, the victim’s lumbar spine injury did not result in a complete lack of sensation below the site of their trauma then their injury may be classified as incomplete. An incomplete spinal cord injury suggests that the victim has some nerve impulses still traveling through the site of their injury and that some movement may be possible.

Both complete and incomplete spinal cord injuries are serious. Individuals who suffer from these forms of extreme harm may need assistance and medical treatment for the rest of their lives. As previously discussed on this Reno personal injury legal blog, living with a spinal cord injury can be very expensive and overwhelmingly burdensome on the individual who is unfortunate enough to suffer from such losses. Victims of spinal cord injuries can often find financial recompense through lawsuits based on their personal injury damages.