Prognosis
Delayed diagnosis of cervical spine injury has grave consequences for the victim. About one in 20 cervical fractures are missed and about two-thirds of these patients have further spinal-cord damage as a result. About 30% of cases of delayed diagnosis of cervical spine injury develop permanent neurological deficits. In high-level cervical injuries, total paralysis from the neck can result. High-level tetraplegics (C4 and higher) will likely need constant care and assistance in activities of daily living, such as getting dressed, eating and bowel and bladder care. Low-level tetraplegics (C5 to C7) can often live independently.
Even with "complete" injuries, in some rare cases, through intensive rehabilitation, slight movement can be regained through "rewiring" neural connections, as in the case of the late actor Christopher Reeve.
In the case of cerebral palsy, which is caused by damage to the motor cortex either before, during (10%) or after birth and some tetraplegics are gradually able to learn to stand or walk through physical therapy.
Read more about this topic: Quadriplegia