Neurology & Pain Management Coding Alert

The term quadriplegia, is derived from the Latin term ‘quad’ meaning four and the Greek word ‘plegia’ meaning inability to move. Quadriplegia implies the inability to move both the arms and the legs. Some providers also use the alternate term “tetraplegia” instead of quadriplegia. 

The major cause for quadriplegia is injury to the spinal cord. This injury is referred to as lesion in the spinal cord. The level of the lesion in the spinal cord determines the loss of function. “A lesion in C1–C4 usually affects arm movement more so than a C5–C7 injury,” says Marvel Hammer, RN, CPC, CCS-P, PCS, ACS-PM, CHCO, owner of MJH Consulting in Denver, CO.

The loss of movement depends upon the level in the spinal cord where the injury occurred and how grievous the damage was. Quadriplegia can be partial or complete.