A patient of yours is injured in a car accident.The surgeon reports that while there is damage to the dorsal roots,the spinal cord and nerves otherwise appear intact.What functions would you expect to be affected in the patient?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Damage to the dorsal roots may result in loss of some sensory perception, and lack of proprioceptive input may make muscle control difficult. However, since the spinal cord and nerves otherwise appear intact, the patient should retain motor function. Autonomic function is not directly affected by damage to dorsal roots. The parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems are both part of the autonomic nervous system and damage to dorsal roots would not selectively affect only one branch. Therefore, choices A and D are not accurate. Choice B is also not accurate because while the patient may experience some loss of motor function, they should not necessarily retain sensory perception completely.

A Patient of Yours Is Injured in a Car Accident