Quadriplegia refers to paralysis of which body parts?

• A. Paralysis of all four limbs
• B. Paralysis of the legs and trunk only
• C. Paralysis of the face and limbs
• D. Paralysis of the upper body only

Answer: (B)

Quadriplegia means paralysis of all four limbs—the arms and the legs. It’s usually caused by injury to the cervical (neck) portion of the spinal cord, which controls movements in both upper and lower limbs, and it can also involve trunk muscles and even respiratory muscles depending on the injury level. Paraplegia, by comparison, is paralysis of the legs (and sometimes the trunk) but not the arms, so it does not describe quadriplegia. Paralysis limited to the face and limbs or to the upper body only would not involve all four limbs, so those do not fit quadriplegia.