Definition of "paraplegia" []

• Complete paralysis of the lower half of the body including both legs, usually caused by damage to the spinal cord. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Following trial, the jury awarded the 45-year-old plaintiff, who was impaled by a steel bar from the scrotum to L2 on his spinal cord, resulting in paraplegia and associated complications, $5 million for past pain and suffering, $10 million for future pain and suffering over 35 years, and $8,295,000 for future medical expenses."
• "Paralysis of the posterior half of the body is known as paraplegia and results from derangement of the spinal cord."
• "The Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund provides much-needed financial assistance to jockeys who have suffered catastrophic injuries such as paraplegia and head injuries while performing their services as jockeys."