Residual motor functions in spinal cord injury. 1988

M R Dimitrijević
Division of Restorative Neurology and Human Neurobiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030.

After acute spinal cord injury, only 10% of the patients experience significant functional recovery. The remaining 90% reveal numerous varieties of spinal cord dysfunctions with different degrees of incomplete and unsatisfactory recovery of functional usage. In such cases of partial recovery of spinal cord functions, a certain degree of restitution of functions can be achieved. By studying these patients and their neurocontrol, we can learn that there are minimal requirements for the restitution of brain influence on segmental mechanisms and that different degrees of control can exist and contribute to the control of steps. These cases exemplify that upper motor neuron paresis is not only a weaker control owing to the loss of a certain percentage of functional fibers: it is an alternative in neurocontrol resulting from suprasegmental and segmental mechanisms within residual structures and their functional performance. On the basis of our observations we conclude that in addition to the model of the "transected spinal cord injury" and the model of the partially injured spinal cord, there is a third model with "discomplete lesion," indicating that it is necessary to revise the conventional concept of "released segmental functions" in patients with transected spinal cord lesion.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D009043 Motor Activity Body movements of a human or an animal as a behavioral phenomenon. Activities, Motor,Activity, Motor,Motor Activities
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D013116 Spinal Cord A cylindrical column of tissue that lies within the vertebral canal. It is composed of WHITE MATTER and GRAY MATTER. Coccygeal Cord,Conus Medullaris,Conus Terminalis,Lumbar Cord,Medulla Spinalis,Myelon,Sacral Cord,Thoracic Cord,Coccygeal Cords,Conus Medullari,Conus Terminali,Cord, Coccygeal,Cord, Lumbar,Cord, Sacral,Cord, Spinal,Cord, Thoracic,Cords, Coccygeal,Cords, Lumbar,Cords, Sacral,Cords, Spinal,Cords, Thoracic,Lumbar Cords,Medulla Spinali,Medullari, Conus,Medullaris, Conus,Myelons,Sacral Cords,Spinal Cords,Spinali, Medulla,Spinalis, Medulla,Terminali, Conus,Terminalis, Conus,Thoracic Cords
D013119 Spinal Cord Injuries Penetrating and non-penetrating injuries to the spinal cord resulting from traumatic external forces (e.g., WOUNDS, GUNSHOT; WHIPLASH INJURIES; etc.). Myelopathy, Traumatic,Injuries, Spinal Cord,Post-Traumatic Myelopathy,Spinal Cord Contusion,Spinal Cord Laceration,Spinal Cord Transection,Spinal Cord Trauma,Contusion, Spinal Cord,Contusions, Spinal Cord,Cord Contusion, Spinal,Cord Contusions, Spinal,Cord Injuries, Spinal,Cord Injury, Spinal,Cord Laceration, Spinal,Cord Lacerations, Spinal,Cord Transection, Spinal,Cord Transections, Spinal,Cord Trauma, Spinal,Cord Traumas, Spinal,Injury, Spinal Cord,Laceration, Spinal Cord,Lacerations, Spinal Cord,Myelopathies, Post-Traumatic,Myelopathies, Traumatic,Myelopathy, Post-Traumatic,Post Traumatic Myelopathy,Post-Traumatic Myelopathies,Spinal Cord Contusions,Spinal Cord Injury,Spinal Cord Lacerations,Spinal Cord Transections,Spinal Cord Traumas,Transection, Spinal Cord,Transections, Spinal Cord,Trauma, Spinal Cord,Traumas, Spinal Cord,Traumatic Myelopathies,Traumatic Myelopathy

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