AboutKen Karstedt II Expertise Life as a quadreplegic. Experiences with sexuality, having a full-time job, traveling, dealing with wheelchairs, purchasing vans, dealing with doctors, medications, urinary cares, skin care, tandom sky diving, white water rafting, wheelchair football, going out to dinner, and dealing with accessibilty issues.
Experience Living a fairly active life as a C4-C5 quadreplegic for 35 years. Experience dealing with numerous doctors and hospitals. Urinary choices.
Education/Credentials An Associate degree. Not with an specialty.
Question What is a displaced spinal cord in the c-spine and can it be fixed and how dangerous is it if it cant be fixed
Answer Hi Terri,
The damage begins at the moment of injury when displaced bone fragments, disc material, or ligaments bruise or tear into spinal cord tissue. Most injuries to the spinal cord don't completely sever it. Instead, an injury is more likely to cause fractures and compression of the vertebrae, which then crush and destroy the axons, extensions of nerve cells that carry signals up and down the spinal cord between the brain and the rest of the body. An injury to the spinal cord can damage a few, many, or almost all of these axons. Some injuries will allow almost complete recovery. Others will result in complete paralysis.
Improved emergency care for people with spinal cord injuries and aggressive treatment and rehabilitation can minimize damage to the nervous system and even restore limited abilities. Respiratory complications are often an indication of the severity of spinal cord injury About one-third of those with injury to the neck area will need help with breathing and require respiratory support. The steroid drug methylprednisolone appears to reduce the damage to nerve cells if it is given within the first 8 hours after injury. Rehabilitation programs combine physical therapies with skill-building activities and counseling to provide social and emotional support.
I hope this helps, and I hope the injury is not to severe. Sincerely, Ken
