Question
A good friend suffered a BSS injury of her C2 about 30 days ago....the MRI does show some "bruising" of the cord...the C2 was surgically fixed and alignment, etc. came together very good.....of course she was given high levels of steroids initially.

She has paralysis on her right side, but is able to move her fingers and thumb some on that hand....she can also wiggle her large toe on the right foot and has a little movement in the ankle.

She does have sensation loss in her left side, but has full movement.

At present she is being released from the RIC in Chcago to let her broken leg heal before more therapy. (she can't put any weight on it for the next 2 1/2 months)   She does have full bladder and bowel movement, breaths on her own and has no other deficiencies..

What would be the prognosis we might expect....I know BSS is a rare injury and she is very lucky given the C2 fracture.  

Answer
Although I'm not a physician or neurosurgeon, my limited research on the topic showed that patients with Brown-Sequard syndrome usually have a good prognosis. The extent to which a patient recovers depends on the cause of injury and secondary conditions or complications.

According to the National Organization for Rare Disorders, more than 90% of affected individuals successfully regain the ability to walk. Additional studies have found that the majority of a patient's motor skills return within the first two months after injury. The recovery period is usually two years, but will vary by patient.  From your description, I would say that things look really promising for your friend.

Thank you for your question, Steve.  I hope that my answer was helpful.