paraparesis

Thân thiện

A patient uses a walker to move across the room due to paraparesis.

Definition

Noun: A condition characterized by partial weakness or incomplete paralysis affecting both lower limbs (legs). It represents a milder form of paralysis where motor function is impaired but not completely lost.

Usage

This is a medical term used primarily in clinical and neurological contexts to describe a specific symptom or diagnosis. It indicates weakness in both legs, distinguishing it from conditions affecting one limb (monoparesis) or all four limbs (quadriparesis/tetraparesis).

Examples

• The patient was diagnosed with paraparesis following the spinal cord injury, experiencing significant weakness but retaining some movement in his legs.
• Progressive paraparesis can be a symptom of several neurological disorders, such as hereditary spastic paraplegia.
• The examination revealed a mild spastic paraparesis, affecting her gait.

Advanced Usage

• The term is often modified by adjectives describing the cause, progression, or nature of the weakness (e.g., , , ).
• It is a key diagnostic descriptor in neurology, often leading to further investigation into spinal cord or brain pathologies.

Variants and Related Words

• Paresis (n): A general term for muscular weakness caused by nerve damage or disease; partial paralysis.
• Paraplegia (n): Complete paralysis of the lower half of the body, including both legs. This is a more severe condition than paraparesis.
• Hemiparesis (n): Weakness affecting one side of the body.
• Quadriparesis/Tetraparesis (n): Weakness affecting all four limbs.

Synonyms

• Partial paralysis of the legs
• Lower limb weakness (a descriptive, non-technical synonym)

Antonyms

• Paraplegia (in terms of severity—complete vs. partial paralysis)
• Normal motor function
• Strength

Học thuật

Noun

1. a slight paralysis or weakness of both legs