Final answer:
Paraplegia is a type of paralysis affecting the trunk, legs, and pelvic organs but not the arms and hands, often caused by a full sectioning of the spinal cord due to incidents like car crashes or sports injuries. It occurs when messages between the brain and body are disrupted below the injury level.
Step-by-step explanation:
Paraplegia is a form of paralysis that results in the loss of motor and sensory control of the trunk, legs, and pelvic organs due to an injury to the spinal cord. In contrast, quadriplegia affects the arms, hands, trunk, legs, and pelvic organs.
Spinal cord injuries often occur due to traumatic events such as car crashes, sports injuries, or diving accidents, and they impact the ability of messages to travel between the brain and the body. When the spinal cord is fully sectioned, this generally results in paraplegia, while a hemisection may lead to hemiplegia, where one side of the body is paralyzed.
In cases of paraplegia, patients retain the use of their arms and hands, but may lose voluntary motor control and sensation below the level of the injury. This can include the trunk, legs, and pelvic organs, depending on the severity and location of the spinal cord damage.