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S34.38: Other and unspecified injuries of cauda equina

You have injured nerves coming from the lower part of your spinal cord.

The spinal cord is located in the spinal column. The spinal cord is made up of nerve fibers. The brain uses the nerve fibers to exchange information with the organs, skin and muscles. The spinal cord extends to the upper part of the lumbar spine. The lumbar spine consists of 5 vertebrae and it is located between the thoracic spine and the pelvis. Beneath the lumbar spine is the sacrum. The sacrum consists of fused vertebrae and it is connected to the pelvis.

Nerves emerge from the side of the spinal cord. The nerves from the lower part of the spinal cord first run a little further downwards into the lumbar spine. As they do so, these nerves together form a sort of bundle that looks like a horse's tail. As they continue, these nerves come out to the side of the lumbar spine and the sacrum. The nerves then continue on to the behind and the legs.

If nerves within the bundle in the lumbar spine are injured, there can be symptoms in the lower half of the body. You may then be unable to move your legs or feet properly. Your skin may then have less sensation in some areas. Certain bodily functions, such as passing water and emptying your bowels, may also be affected.

Additional indicator

On medical documents, the ICD code is often appended by letters that indicate the diagnostic certainty or the affected side of the body.

  • G: Confirmed diagnosis
  • V: Tentative diagnosis
  • Z: Condition after
  • A: Excluded diagnosis
  • L: Left
  • R: Right
  • B: Both sides

Further information

Note

This information is not intended for self-diagnosis and does not replace professional medical advice from a doctor. If you find an ICD code on a personal medical document, please also note the additional indicator used for diagnostic confidence.
Your doctor will assist you with any health-related questions and explain the ICD diagnosis code to you in a direct consultation if necessary.

Source

Provided by the non-profit organization “Was hab’ ich?” gemeinnützige GmbH on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG).