A nurse is caring for a client who has a complete spinal cord injury at the level of cervical 7. Which of the following assessment findings should the nurse anticipate?

A. The client has some sensation but no movement below the level of the injury: In a complete spinal cord injury, both motor and sensory function are lost below the level of the lesion. Retaining only sensation without motor function would indicate an incomplete or partial injury rather than a complete transection. B. The client has some movement and also some sensation below the level of the injury: Presence of both motor and sensory function below the injury would suggest an incomplete spinal cord injury. A complete injury eliminates voluntary movement and sensation below the affected segment. C. The client has no sensation or movement below the level of the injury: Complete spinal cord injuries at the C7 level result in total loss of motor and sensory function below the lesion. While the client may retain some triceps function (elbow extension) and partial finger extension at the level of the injury, areas below C7 will have absent sensation and movement, consistent with the definition of a complete injury. D. The client has some movement but no sensation below the level of the injury: Selective loss of sensation while retaining movement is uncommon in complete injuries. This presentation would indicate a rare incomplete injury affecting primarily sensory pathways, not a complete C7 transection.