What is Vascular Malformation?
A vascular malformation is an abnormal collection or tangle of blood vessels on, in, or near the spinal cord. Two of the most common types are arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) and arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs).
AVMs are caused when oxygen-rich blood, which normally enters your spinal cord through arteries and blood vessels, bypasses the blood vessels, or capillaries, and passes directly into the veins. The spinal cord doesn’t receive enough oxygen and causes spinal tissues to deteriorate or die. Sometimes the spinal AVM can rupture, causing bleeding in the spinal cord. As AVMs grow, they may put pressure on the spinal cord.
AVFs account for 70 percent of all spinal vascular malformations and usually appear in the thoracic (mid back) spine near the nerve root. They are caused by an abnormal connection between arteries and the tough covering over the spinal cord and a draining vein. AVFs create congestion in the veins and hypertension, resulting in decreased blood flow through the organs, oxygen depletion, and swelling of the spinal cord.

What Are the Symptoms of an L1 Injury?

The L1 vertebra is the topmost section of the lumbar spinal column. This section of the spine contains a portion of the spinal cord. Injuries to the L1 spine can affect hip flexion, cause paraplegia, loss of bowel/bladder control, and/or numbness in the legs.

What Are the Symptoms of an L2 Injury?

The L2 vertebra contains the end of the spinal cord proper—all other spinal vertebrae below this point only have spinal nerves, not the spinal cord. Injuries to the L2 vertebra can have effects similar to an L1 injury (reduced hip flexion, paraplegia, and numbness).

What Are the Symptoms of an L3 Injury?

This is the middle vertebra of the lumbar spine, and the first vertebra to not contain a section of the spinal cord. Common symptoms of an L3 lumbar spinal injury include weakness, numbness, and loss of flexibility in the legs, hips, and/or groin.

What Are the Symptoms of an L4 Injury?

The second to last section of the lumbar spinal column. While injuries to the L4 vertebra tend to be less severe than injuries to the spinal cord proper, symptoms include an inability to bend the feet in a particular direction.

What Are the Symptoms of an L5 Injury?

The L5 vertebra is the final section of the lumbar spine (at least, it is for most people). Injury to the L5 spinal nerve bundle can cause numbness and weakness in the legs, but the extent of these symptoms can vary from case to case.

Injuries below this level (at the L3, L4, and L5 vertebrae) affect the hips and legs and may cause numbness extending to the feet (sciatica). It may also harm the tip of the spinal cord known as the cauda equina, which is a bundle of spinal nerves and nerve roots that innervate the lower lumbar spine to the sacrum.

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