A complete C7 tetraplegia would be classified on the ASIA impairment scale as which grade?

• A. A
• B. B
• C. C
• D. D

Answer: (A)

This item tests how the ASIA Impairment Scale defines complete versus incomplete spinal cord injuries. A complete cervical injury means there is no sensory or motor function preserved below the neurological level, including the sacral segments S4–S5. In a complete C7 tetraplegia, there is no preserved function below C7—neither sensation nor motor control below that level, even in the sacral area. That lack of any below-level function fits the complete category on the ASIA scale. The other grades require some preserved sensory or motor function below the level of injury, which is not present here. Therefore, this presentation is classified as the complete injury category on the ASIA scale.