A Spinal Cord Injury at the Level of C2 Causes

Question

A spinal cord injury at the level of C2 causes
A) hemiplegia and blindness.
B) paraplegia and deafness.
C) quadriplegia and an inability to breathe.
D) ptosis of the eyelid and dilated and fixed pupils.

Accepted Answer

A spinal cord injury at the level of C2 causes quadriplegia and an inability to breathe because C2 is located in the cervical region of the spinal cord, which controls the muscles of the neck, shoulders, arms, and hands, as well as the respiratory muscles that control breathing. Injury at this level can result in paralysis of all four limbs and an inability to breathe without mechanical ventilation. Hemiplegia (paralysis of one side of the body), blindness, paraplegia (paralysis of the lower limbs), deafness, and ptosis of the eyelid with dilated and fixed pupils are associated with other types of neurological injuries.