Why are some spinal cord injuries more serious than others?

Why are some spinal cord injuries more serious than others?

In an adult, the lumbar spine from about L1 down has no spinal cord, but it has the roots, it has the nerves that have come from the spinal cord that are going to the lower extremities there in that spinal canal. So, when you have a herniated disc it's the root that gets compressed--you have a fracture it's the root that gets compressed. Whereas if you have a fracture of your neck or a fracture of your thoracic spine you do run the risk of compressing the spinal cord, which is a considerably more difficult thing and winds up with paralysis.