<P> Signs (observed by a clinician) and symptoms (experienced by a patient) vary depending on where the spine is injured and the extent of the injury . A section of skin innervated through a specific part of the spine is called a dermatome, and injury to that part of the spine can cause pain, numbness, or a loss of sensation in the related areas . Paraesthesia, a tingling or burning sensation in affected areas of the skin, is another symptom . A person with a lowered level of consciousness may show a response to a painful stimulus above a certain point but not below it . A group of muscles innervated through a specific part of the spine is called a myotome, and injury to that part of the spinal cord can cause problems with movements that involve those muscles . The muscles may contract uncontrollably (spasticity), become weak, or be completely paralysed . Spinal shock, loss of neural activity including reflexes below the level of injury, occurs shortly after the injury and usually goes away within a day . </P> <P> The specific parts of the body affected by loss of function are determined by the level of injury . </P> <P> The effects of injuries at or above the lumbar or sacral regions of the spinal cord (lower back and pelvis) include decreased control of the legs and hips, genitourinary system, and anus . People injured below level L2 may still have use of their hip flexor and knee extensor muscles . Bowel and bladder function are regulated by the sacral region . It is common to experience sexual dysfunction after injury, as well as dysfunction of the bowel and bladder, including fecal and urinary incontinence . It is also possible for the bladder to fail to empty, leading to a potentially harmful buildup of urine . One sign of spinal cord injury that emergency providers may find is priapism, an erection of the penis . </P> <P> In addition to the problems found in lower - level injuries, thoracic (chest height) spinal lesions can affect the muscles in the trunk . Injuries at the level of T1 to T8 result in inability to control the abdominal muscles . Trunk stability may be affected; even more so in higher level injuries . The lower the level of injury, the less extensive its effects . Injuries from T9 to T12 result in partial loss of trunk and abdominal muscle control . Thoracic spinal injuries result in paraplegia, but function of the hands, arms, and neck are not affected . </P>

1. what assessment findings are associated with injuries of the spinal cord at the thoracic level