Quadriplegia is the medical name for a lasting loss of movement in both arms and both legs. People often say “from the neck down.” It usually follows a serious injury to the spinal cord in the neck. The word names the condition, not the person. (The person is a quadriplegic, or, if you want to be gentler, a person with quadriplegia.) The tidy picture is a little tidier than life: not everyone with quadriplegia has zero movement in the arms. Where the cord was hurt, and how badly, changes what still works — some people can still move a shoulder or an elbow. Doctors also say tetraplegia; tetra- is Greek for four, quadri- is Latin for four. It is a hospital word. Families often say “paralysed” instead.

四肢癱瘓