A patient involved in a road traffic accident presents with quadriparesis, sphincter disturbance, sensory level up to the upper border of sternum and a respiratory rate of 35/minute.The likely level of lesion is:
Spinal cord lesion at C4-C5 shows impaired diaphragm activity, increased rate of respiration compensated by intact accessory muscles of respiration. Sensations are spared till the sternal border. Deltoid and biceps muscles are also spared. Ref: The Cervical Spine By Charles Richard Clark, Edward C.Benzel, 2005, Page 181; Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 17th Edition, Page 2588.
C1-C2
C4-C5
T1-T2
T3-T4