The peripheral nervous system (PNS) is one of two components that make up the nervous system of bilateral animals, with the other part being the central nervous system (CNS). The PNS consists of nerves and ganglia, which lie outside the brain and the spinal cord. The main function of the PNS is to connect the CNS to the limbs and organs, essentially serving as a relay between the brain and spinal cord and the rest of the body. Unlike the CNS, the PNS is not protected by the vertebral column and skull, or by the blood–brain barrier, which leaves it exposed to toxins.
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit American academic medical center focused on integrated health care, education, and research. It employs over 7,300 physicians and scientists, along with another 66,000 administrative and allied health staff, across three major campuses: Rochester, Minnesota; Jacksonville, Florida; and Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona. The practice specializes in treating difficult cases through tertiary care and destination medicine. It is home to the top-15 ranked Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine in addition to many of the highest regarded residency education programs in the United States. It spends over $660 million a year on research and has more than 3,000 full-time research personnel.
Tetraplegia, also known as quadriplegia, is defined as the dysfunction or loss of motor and/or sensory function in the cervical area of the spinal cord. A loss of motor function can present as either weakness or paralysis leading to partial or total loss of function in the arms, legs, trunk, and pelvis; paraplegia is similar but affects the thoracic, lumbar, and sacral segments of the spinal cord and arm function is retained. The paralysis may be flaccid or spastic. A loss of sensory function can present as an impairment or complete inability to sense light touch, pressure, heat, pinprick/pain, and proprioception. In these types of spinal cord injury, it is common to have a loss of both sensation and motor control.
Paraplegia, or paraparesis, is an impairment in motor or sensory function of the lower extremities. The word comes from Ionic Greek (παραπληγίη) "half-stricken". It is usually caused by spinal cord injury or a congenital condition that affects the neural (brain) elements of the spinal canal. The area of the spinal canal that is affected in paraplegia is either the thoracic, lumbar, or sacral regions. If four limbs are affected by paralysis, tetraplegia or quadriplegia is the correct term. If only one limb is affected, the correct term is monoplegia. Spastic paraplegia is a form of paraplegia defined by spasticity of the affected muscles, rather than flaccid paralysis.
A spinal cord injury (SCI) is damage to the spinal cord that causes temporary or permanent changes in its function. It is a destructive neurological and pathological state that causes major motor, sensory and autonomic dysfunctions.
Patrick "Pat" Rummerfield is the first spinal cord injury (SCI) quadriplegic in history to recover full physical mobility. He has numerous athletic accomplishments, and works as a motivational speaker.
Darren Alexander Drozdov, known professionally as Droz, was an American professional wrestler and football player. After a short career in the National Football League (NFL) and the Canadian Football League (CFL), he went into professional wrestling. He was best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), initially under the ring name Puke, and then under the shortened version of his surname. Drozdov was quadriplegic due to a neck injury sustained from a botched wrestling maneuver, but regained most of the use of his upper body and arms.
Kevin Everett is a former American football tight end who played for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bills in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami after transferring from Kilgore College where he played on an undefeated team in 2001 under head coach Jimmy Rieves.
Dagfinn Enerly is a Norwegian former footballer who played as a winger for Norwegian Premier League clubs Skeid, Moss, Rosenborg and Fredrikstad. In 2005, he broke his neck during a match, which left him paralyzed from the chest down. He has since regained partial movement in his arms and legs, and has several times stated his intentions to walk again.
Dale Leonard Hackbart is a former American football defensive back who played twelve seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Green Bay Packers, Washington Redskins, Minnesota Vikings, St. Louis Cardinals, and Denver Broncos from 1960 to 1973. He also played in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 1964 and 1965.
Adam J. Taliaferro is an American politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from the 3rd district from 2015 to 2022. He is a former American football player whose recovery from a paralyzing spinal cord injury sustained while playing cornerback for the Penn State Nittany Lions gained national media attention. He served on the Gloucester County Board of Chosen Freeholders for three years before his 2015 appointment to the New Jersey General Assembly. He served three terms before losing re-election in 2021.
William G. Anderson D.O. was the first African-American who was a member of the Board of Trustees of the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) for twenty years where he also served as president. He was best known for his role in the Albany Movement, which Anderson led, was formed by local activists in Albany, Georgia in 1961.
University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital formerly University of Iowa Children's Hospital and Children's Hospital of Iowa is a pediatric acute care academic children's hospital located in Iowa City, Iowa. The hospital was founded in 1919 and its current facility, opened in 2017, overlooks the university's football home, Kinnick Stadium. The hospital has 190 inpatient pediatric beds and is affiliated with the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. The hospital provides comprehensive pediatric specialties and subspecialties to pediatric patients aged 0–21 throughout Iowa and is one of the only children's hospitals in the region and state. University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital also features the only ACS verified Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center in the state.
Alfred Washington Adson was an American physician, military officer, and surgeon. He was in medical practice with the Mayo Clinic and the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine of the University of Minnesota at Rochester, Minnesota. He was associated with the development of the Section of Neurological Surgery which was first established at Mayo in 1919. He functioned as its chair until 1946. He undertook pioneering neurosurgery and gave his name to a medical condition, a medical sign, a medical diagnostic manoeuvre, and medical instruments.
Eric J. LeGrand is an American former football defensive tackle who played college football for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.
Mayo Clinic Health System is a system of community-based medical facilities. It is owned by Mayo Clinic and was founded in 1992. The organization focuses on providing medical care in rural communities in Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin. As of 2022, its facilities include 16 hospitals, 53 multispecialty clinics and one mobile health clinic. The President of Mayo Clinic Health System is Prathibha Varkey.
Kofi Owusu Boahene is a Ghanaian-born American physician, writer, researcher, and academic.
Devon Walker is an American former college football player. He was playing at Tulane University when he was paralyzed from the neck down during a college game following a collision with a teammate. He signed a one-day contract with the New Orleans Saints in May 2014.
Scott Wiley Fedor is a motivational speaker, author, and disability advocate.
Erick All is an American football tight end for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He previously played college football for the Michigan Wolverines and the Iowa Hawkeyes.
