Spinal Cord and Vertebral Trauma Flashcards
6 cards from real TNCC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Spinal Cord and Vertebral Trauma flashcards as text
A patient with a C5 spinal cord injury would be expected to retain which motor function?
Answer: Biceps function and shoulder movement
C5 innervates the deltoid and biceps muscles, allowing shoulder abduction/flexion and elbow flexion. Wrist extension (C6), triceps (C7), and hand intrinsics (T1) are lost.
Spinal shock is characterized by:
Answer: Temporary loss of reflexes, motor function, and sensation below the injury level
Spinal shock is the temporary, physiological suppression of all spinal cord function (reflexes, motor, sensory, autonomic) below the injury level, which may last hours to weeks.
Which mechanism of injury is most associated with a Jefferson fracture (C1 burst fracture)?
Answer: Axial loading (compression) force to the top of the head
A Jefferson fracture results from axial loading transmitted through the occipital condyles to the C1 lateral masses, causing the ring of C1 to burst outward. Common mechanisms include diving into shallow water or objects falling onto the head.
A patient with a T10 complete spinal cord injury is most likely to experience which bladder dysfunction?
Answer: Upper motor neuron (spastic/reflex) bladder
Injuries above the conus medullaris (L1-L2) produce an upper motor neuron bladder — the sacral micturition reflex arc (S2-S4) is intact but disconnected from voluntary control, resulting in a spastic, reflex bladder.
When logrolling a patient with a suspected spinal injury, the minimum number of personnel required is:
Answer: Four — one at the head plus three supporting the body
A minimum of four persons is recommended for logrolling: one maintains manual in-line stabilization of the head/neck and directs the maneuver, while three support the torso, pelvis, and legs to maintain spinal alignment.
Which clinical finding differentiates Brown-Sequard syndrome from other incomplete spinal cord injury patterns?
Answer: Ipsilateral motor loss and proprioception loss with contralateral pain and temperature loss
Brown-Sequard syndrome results from hemisection of the spinal cord, producing ipsilateral motor paralysis and proprioception loss (posterior columns) with contralateral pain and temperature loss (spinothalamic tract) below the injury.