Spinal cord
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Pain continues to be a significant management problem in people with spinal cord injuries. Despite this there is little consensus regarding the nature, terminology and definitions of the various types of pain that occur following spinal cord injury. This has led to large variations in the reported incidence and prevalence of pain following spinal cord injury. ⋯ We have further divided neuropathic at level pain into two categories: radicular and central, to indicate the presumed site of the lesion responsible for pain generation. We believe that our proposed classification system is comprehensive, simple and readily applicable in the clinical and research situation. It is our hope that this proposed classification will contribute to the eventual development of a universal system for the classification of pain following spinal cord injury.
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Return of diaphragm function in an individual with ventilator-dependent high cervical tetraplegia is presented. The patient was maintained on a ventilator for five years after sustaining a C3-C4 vertebral fracture with a complete high cervical tetraplegia. ⋯ Subsequently, successful ventilatory weaning and diaphragmatic muscle strengthening was achieved. This case report emphasises the importance of serial evaluation of phrenic nerve viability, diaphragmatic function and ventilator dependency in patients with a high cervical tetraplegia in light of potential neurological recovery.