A 19-Year-Old Man Is Brought to the Emergency Department After

question 445

Multiple Choice

A 19-year-old man is brought to the emergency department after being stabbed in the back.  Vital signs are normal.  He is alert and oriented, with a Glasgow Coma Score of 15.  Neurologic examination demonstrates the absence of motor activity in all muscle groups of the right lower extremity, as well as decreased muscle tone.  Left leg motor function is normal.  Right patellar reflex, Achilles reflex, and Babinski sign are absent.  There is loss of light touch and proprioception below the right costal margin.  Pinprick sensation is absent on the left side at the level of the umbilicus and below.  Which of the following is the most likely location of this patient's injury?

• A)Anterior spinal artery injury at T8
• B)Anterior spinal artery injury at T10
• C)Complete spinal transection at T8
• D)Complete spinal transection at T10
• E)Left spinal hemisection at T8
• F)Left spinal hemisection at T10
• G)Right spinal hemisection at T8
• H)Right spinal hemisection at T10

---

Definitions:

Sensory Adaptation

A process by which the sensitivity to a stimulus decreases over time when the stimulus is constantly present.

Gate-Control Theory

A theory that suggests the spinal cord contains a neurological "gate" that either blocks pain signals or allows them to continue on to the brain.

Perception

The process of organizing and interpreting sensory information, enabling us to recognize meaningful objects and events.

Basic Smells

A concept suggesting there are a limited number of primary smell sensations from which all other smells are derived, similar to primary colors.