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Paraplegia

Paraplegia is a condition in which the lower part of a patient's body is paralyzed and cannot move. It is usually the result of spinal cord injury or a congenital condition such as spina bifida, but polyneuropathy may also result in paraplegia. If the arms are also paralyzed, quadriplegia is a more appropriate diagnosis. more...

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Medicines

Causes

Central nervous system: Any disease process affecting the pyramidal tract of the spinal cord from the thoracic spine downward may lead to paraplegia, as this structure transmits "instructions" for movement from the brain to the anterior horn. This is the most common cause of paraplegia. It is usually spastic: it results in an increased muscle tone in the affected limbs. Causes range from trauma (acute spinal cord injury: transsection or compression of the cord, usually by bone fragments from vertebral fractures) to tumors (chronic compression of the cord), myelitis transversa and multiple sclerosis. Sometimes, paralysis of both legs can result from injury to the brain (bilateral injury of the motor cortex controling the legs, e.g. due to a stroke or a brain tumor).

Peripheral nervous system: Rarer is the type which is caused by damage to the nerves supplying the legs. This form of damage is not usually symmetrical and would not cause paraplegia, but polyneuropathy may cause paraplegia if motor fibres are affected. While in theory the arms should also be affected, the fibres that supply the legs are longer and hence more vulnerable to damage.

Disability

While some people with paraplegia can walk to a degree, many are dependant on wheelchairs or other supportive measures. Impotence and various degrees of urinary and fecal incontinence are very common in those affected.

Complications

Due to the decreased movement and inability to walk, paraplegia may cause numerous medical complications, many of which can be prevented with good nursing care. These include pressure sores (decubitus), thrombosis and pneumonia. Physiotherapyand various assistive technology, such as a standing frame, may aid in preventing these complications.

Support organisations

  • Back-Up Trust

Read more at Wikipedia.org


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Student shot twice by police officer: Undue force: Paraplegia: Neurogenic bladder, bowel: Settlement
From Law Reporter, 11/1/03

CIVIL RIGHTS

Balandin v. Eagle, U.S. Dist. Ct., D. Minn., No. 01-CV-790 (JEL/JGL), Feb. 19, 2003.

Balandin, 17, was at a party where he was taking the drug LSD. Feeling ill and confused from the drug, Balandin went outside, removing all his clothing under the belief that the cold weather would help sober him. When he did not feel better, Balandin approached a municipal police car, allegedly to ask for assistance. Due to the influence of the drug, Balandin was very unsteady on his feet and attempted to speak to the officer in Balandin's native Russian. An altercation ensued, and when Balandin fled, the police officer fired three shots at him. Two of the shots struck him, one in the back and one in his upper left leg.

Balandin suffered a spinal fracture at T8, rendering him paraplegic. he now suffers from a neurogenic bowel and bladder as a result of the incident. His medical expenses totaled approximately $300,000, and his future medical expenses are estimated at $3.34 million. Balandin, who had been a student and department store clerk, has been unable to return to school or work since the incident. His past lost income totals about $1,400, and his projected future lost income is approximately $1.06 million.

Balandin sued the officer individually and the city, alleging that the officer used undue force in violation of the Fourth Amendment and the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. [sec] 1983. Defendants claimed plaintiff was shot in a struggle for die officer's weapon. The trial court dismissed the suit against the city.

The parties settled before trial for $3.05 million. The city indemnified the police officer. The city's insurance trust will pay $3 million of the award and the city will pay $50,000.

Plaintiff's experts were Lou Reiter, police procedures, Greenville, R.I.; Daniel Davis, forensic pathology/animation, Edina, Minn.; Linda Graham, health care costs, Roseville, Minn.; and Phillip Haber, rehabilitation/future earning capacity, Minneapolis, Minn.

Defendants' experts included Richard Kingston, toxicology, St. Paul, Minn.; Richard VanWagner, employability, Edina, Minn.; Margie Rehm, health care costs, Dousman, Wis.; William Micklus, police procedures, Burnsville, Minn.; and William Lewinski, police procedures, Mankato, Minn.

Plaintiff's Counsel

* Robert Bennett, Minneapolis, Minn.

Eric Hageman, Minneapolis, Minn.

Copyright Association of Trial Lawyers of America Nov 2003
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved

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