paraplegia
/ˌparəˈpliːdʒə
/noun [mass noun]
Paralysis of the legs and lower body, typically caused by spinal injury or disease.A spinal injury leading to paraplegia or quadriplegia could lead to an insurance company paying out between €5 million and €7 million....
- Paralysis can involve all four extremities, a condition called quadriplegia or tetraplegia, or only the lower body, resulting in paraplegia.
- Injuries to the lower spinal cord could cause paraplegia while injuries to the upper level could cause quadriplegia - completely immobilising a patient.
Origin
Mid 17th century: modern Latin, from Greek paraplēgia, from paraplēssein 'strike at the side', from para 'beside' + plēssein 'to strike'.