instruction: hi doctor I have some questions I would like answered on cervical spinal cord injuries please if a person only had a partial transection of the cervical spinal cord would their final outcome still be a complete cervical spinal cord injury where they no mobility or sensory function or is it possible their final outcome could be an incomplete cervical spinal cord injury where they have some mobility and sensory function can a person with a neck fracture die from their cervical spinal cord being compressed because of bleeding and swelling from the fracture compressing against the cord can a person with an incomplete cervical spinal cord injury caused by a traumatic accident die four days after the accident because of the cervical spinal cord failure to control blood pressure and heart rate or respiratory failure because of damage done to the cord or would they have to have a complete cervical spinal cord injury to die four days after the accident because of the same reason stated above and lastly would it be possible for a elderly male aged 80 who has had a fall and has either a partially severed his cervical spinal cord or his cervical spinal cord been injured by being compressed from bleeding and swelling as result of a neck fracture be physically able to walk roughly 50 meters with someone assisting him if it is possible what would their balance be like for example if the person assisting the injured man was holding him with one their arms holding him at the waist would be able to walk in a straight line or would his walking be staggered unbalanced and uncoordinated
output: hello I read carefully your question and would explain that the cervical spinal cord is a very delicate part of the spinal cord because in its beginning are located the most important centers which control the heart rate the pulmonary function and the blood pressure values it is true that just after a trauma a man can walk with or without assistance for 50 meters and this can sound strange in fact this can be related to the lack of damage to the spinal cord in that moment there is only the fracture of the vertebral column while the central nervous system is intact while walking the instability of the damaged vertebral column causes further damage to the spinal cord and the person gets paralyzed regarding the partial and complete damage of the spinal cord it is difficult to judge all the damages begin as partial but because of the spinal cord instability the lack of right immobilization and the bleeding and swelling the damage may become complete in the next days the swelling and bleeding tend to spread and the spinal cord is trapped within the vertebral column and can not expand further so the swelling and bleeding cause further damage to the spinal cord it is difficult to judge in the first days of trauma but because of the swelling in the first days after the trauma first week the person may die because of acute cardio respiratory arrest due to the dysfunction of the heart and respiratory function the swelling tends to spread in the upper cord and the paralysis becomes complete affecting also the respiration and the heart rhythm I hope this helps