Nerves

If someone was in a motorcycle accident and suffered partial paralysis of the upper and lower limbs... and it is also hard for them to breath... which nerves and muscles would be involved in this problem?

[jcverive]

Pardon me for asking, but is this a homework problem?

[Caliber2005]

Hi,
How severe was the accident and where was the site of impact?
If after an accident it is difficult to breathe for patient, probably phrenic nerve is involved (as it supplies diaphragm) and muscles involved would be probably accessory muscles of respiration including diaphragm.

[NewYorkHP]

no it is not my friend was in a motorcycle accident..  why?

[jcverive]

By partial, do you mean that the paralysis affects only one side of the body, or do you mean that limbs on both sides of the body have lost function?  A precise description of affected limbs will help in isolating accurately the affected nerves. In general though, upper extremity motor innervation starts approximately in the thoracic spine at level T3, and lower extremity innervation for the lower extremities ends around L2 (with some individual variations).  Breathing muscles are divided into normal diaphragmatic breathing (around T5) and auxiliary breathing (T3-T4).

What specific motor and sensory deficits does your friend have (including internal organ functions), and to what level are these deficits either approximately the same (or significantly different) from side to side?  Are there any cognitive deficits, and what are your friend's short-term and long-term prognoses?  I hope he/she has a quick recovery.

[NewYorkHP]

Jcverive why did you want to know if it was a homework problem?