What is the difference between a quadriplegic and a paraplegic?
A person with quadriplegia is usually someone who has injured their cervical spine (neck), resulting in some loss of function in all four limbs. A person with paraplegia is usually someone who has injured either the thoracic or lumbar portion of their spine (back). A person with paraplegia will usually have full use of their arms, hands and sometimes trunk muscles. A person with quadriplegia will usually lose significant function in all of these areas, depending on the level of their injury.
