spinal cord injury
Also written as: SCI — Spinal Cord Injury
Damage to the spinal cord resulting in partial or complete loss of motor, sensory, or autonomic function below the level of the lesion.
Full Definition
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a catastrophic neurological condition resulting from trauma, disease, or degeneration of the spinal cord, producing varying degrees of motor paralysis, sensory loss, and autonomic dysfunction at and below the neurological level of injury. SCI is classified as complete (no motor or sensory function preserved in the sacral segments S4–S5) or incomplete (some function preserved) according to the ASIA Impairment Scale. Editors should hyphenate 'spinal-cord injury' only when used as a compound modifier (e.g., 'spinal-cord-injury rehabilitation'); as a noun phrase it is unhyphenated. The abbreviation 'SCI' is widely used and should be expanded on first use.
Usage
Usage note: Hyphenate only as a compound modifier. Distinguish complete from incomplete SCI, and always specify the neurological level (e.g., C5, T10) in clinical documents. Expand 'SCI' on first use.
In Context
- "The rehabilitation program was tailored to the patient's C6 incomplete spinal cord injury with preserved hand sensation." — SCI inpatient admission report
- "SCI (spinal cord injury) rehabilitation requires a coordinated multidisciplinary approach addressing mobility, bladder, and bowel management." — Patient education brochure