Peripheral nerve involvement in spinal cord injury: an electromyographic study.

This electromyographic study was undertaken to assess the peripheral nervous system in patients with various types of paraplegia. Twelve patients were studied. In 8 patients the paraplegia was of the spastic type while 4 had flaccid paraplegia. Electromyographic abnormalities consisting of denervation potentials, slowed conduction and inexcitability of nerve were demonstrated in the lower limbs of all patients. These findings suggest a diffuse neuropathy of unknown cause, although local pressure palsies may have occurred in some patients. Because this involvement was more apparent in the flaccid group of paraplegic patients as compared with the spastic one, it is concluded that the peripheral nervous system plays an important role in determining the type of paraplegia that develops following complete spinal cord lesions.