SCI Potenial Outcome Expectations

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=65 BGCOLOR="#666699" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="04e00840erlcjm.png"> <div> <FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>SCI Potenial Outcome Expectations</B></FONT><B>     |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mark Felling.com Dont let life pass you"><B>home</B></A></div> <div> back to<B>  </B><A HREF="disabilityresources.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Disability Resources"><B>Disability Resources</B></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=150 BGCOLOR="#CCCCFF" TEXT="#080000" background="04811c00egdysm.png"> <bR> <div> <A HREF="quadrec.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Recreation for Quads">Recreation for Quads</A></div> <div> <A HREF="helpingmonkeys.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Helping Monkeys">Helping Monkeys</A></div> <div> <A HREF="wheelchair_reviews.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Wheelchair Reviews">Wheelchair Reviews</A></div> <div> <A HREF="take_action.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Support / Take Action">Support / Take Action</A></div> <div> <A HREF="task_expectations.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="SCI Functional Task Expectations">SCI Functional Task Expectations</A></div> <div> <B>SCI Potenial Outcome Expectations</B></div> <div> <A HREF="disability_resources.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Disability Resources on the Internet ">Disability Resources on the Internet </A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=415 width="100%" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="5" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="816" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER HEIGHT= 82 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="http://www.broadenedhorizons.com" TARGET="_blank" TITLE="http://www.broadenedhorizons.com"><B><IMG SRC="961dd4b0.png" border=0 width="221" height="75" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="94"><div> <A HREF="http://www.BroadenedHorizons.com" TARGET="_blank" TITLE="http://www.BroadenedHorizons.com"><B>"Innovative Solutions for the Mobility Impaired"</B></A></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=CENTER WIDTH="467"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="82" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="467" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> The level of independence which a patient can achieve after a disabling injury depends on many factors e.g. age, sex, physical proportions and motivation. However, in theory, at each level of spinal cord lesion a different level of independence is possible. In this section we have given a few examples of what a patient should aim to achieve at each level of lesion.  (This information was borrowed from the <A HREF="http://www.randmutual.co.za/medical/spine.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.randmutual.co.za/medical/spin">Rand Mutual Assurance Co. Ltd. web site</A>.  More information concerning SCI can be found there also.)</div> <bR> <div> <U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">C4 Tetraplegic</U> </div> <div> A person with this level of lesion will be able to move his head and neck and be able to shrug his shoulders. As he doesn’t have many innervated voluntary muscles remaining to work with, his mouth must become his hands. He will be able to operate a chin-controlled electric wheelchair, paint, play various games, type and write using a mouth stick and read using a page turner. He will be able to tell people how to assist him in relieving pressure and how to transfer him. </div> <bR> <div> <U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">C5 Tetraplegic</U> </div> <div> A person with this level of lesion will be able to move his head, neck and shoulders as above and will also be able to move his arms out to the side to a limited extent. He will also be able to bend his elbows and to weakly move his arms across his chest. Having the limited use of these extra muscles gives him a great deal more independence. He will be able to push his wheelchair on a smooth, level surface using capstan rims and pushing gloves. He will be able to apply and release his wheelchair brakes. If he finds pushing his wheelchair too arduous he will be able to use an electric wheelchair with a hand control. He will be able to read, write, type, brush his teeth, drink from a cup and feed himself using either a handcuff or motorised finger prehension splint like the Engen splint. He will be able to direct and/or assist persons in helping him to transfer and to relieve pressure. </div> <bR> <div> <U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">C6 Tetraplegic</U> </div> <div> He will be able to move his head, neck, shoulders and arms as above but with much more strength. He will also be able to extend his wrists. This will enable him to push his wheelchair on sloping ground on his own without capstan rims but with pushing gloves. He will be able to use a finger prehension splint like the Engen splint which will make him independent in terms of washing, shaving, brushing teeth, eating and drinking. He will be able to roll independently and to sit up independently. He will be able to perform or assist with his passive movements. He will be able to dress/partially dress himself using button hooks, loops on clothes and a dressing stick. </div> <div> He will also be able to assist or perform all transfers with or without a sliding board and to direct transfers to and from the floor. He will be able to relieve pressure whether on his wheelchair or in bed. Some sporting activities in which he can take part are swimming, track events, table tennis and club throwing. </div> <bR> <div> <U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">C7 Tetraplegic</U> </div> <div> He will be able to move his head, neck, shoulders and elbows with good strength. He will also be able to extend his shoulders and elbow and flex his wrists. He will therefore, perform all the above functions with much more ease and with minimal or no assistive devices. He will be able to dress himself independently. He may need assistance to and from the floor and in getting in and out of a car. He will do his own passive movements. He may become involved in sports e.g. discus, club-throwing, shot-put, track events, swimming and table tennis. </div> <bR> <div> <U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">C8 Tetraplegic</U> </div> <div> In addition to the above muscles he will have some lumbrical intrinsic movements in his fingers and will be able to open and close his fingers weakly. He will be able to move as above and will also manage to go up and down kerbs independent or with minimal assistance. He will be able to position his own pillows in bed and may also manage to transfer into a steel bath. </div> <bR> <div> <U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">High Tetraplegic</U> </div> <div> He will have full function and strength in his upper limbs but will not have any abdominal muscle function and limited back extensor function (depending on the precise level of lesion). He will be totally independent in self-care, hygiene, pressure relief, dressing, passive movements and transfers. He will be able to put on and remove his own calipers and boots. The motivated patient will be able to stand and walk in parallel bars using above-knee calipers and a swing-to gait pattern. He may be involved in wheelchair basketball, field and track events and swimming if interested in sport. </div> <bR> <div> <U><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b700f000000000.png" HEIGHT="16" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Low Tetraplegic</U> </div> <div> This is rather a broad group. The patient will have good abdominal and back extensor function, may be able to flex his hips and may also be able to extend his knees. As with the high paraplegic he will be totally independent. He may walk with above-knee or below-knee calipers depending on his level of lesion. He will walk using a swing-through gait pattern or a four point/two point gait pattern, using either a walking frame or elbow crutches. He will be able to stand up from his wheelchair using elbow crutches and will be able to fall to the ground and stand up again. He will also be able to go up and down stairs in calipers. He may be able to stand and work in calipers. He will be able to participate in all sports available to the physically disabled. </div> <bR> <div> The very low cauda equina lesion patients will be able to walk with minimal/no appliances and elbow crutches. </div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>