A 53-year-old man presented with acute weakness of all four limbs (more on the right side) after an assault, during which he fell on his right side. He reported no urinary problems, but had not had any bowel movement for the past fi ve days.On examination, the patient had bilateral hypoaesthesia from the C5 to T1 level. Muscle strength in both upper limbs was decreased, with the right side affected more than the left. Muscle strength was also markedly reduced (1/5) in the right lower limb but full (5/5) in the left lower limb. Refl exes were graded 3+ in both upper limbs and the right lower limb, and 2+ in the left lower limb. Babinski refl ex was negative. Abdominal examination was signifi cant for a palpable, distended bladder and urinary catheterisation yielded 1,100 mL of urine. Sphincter tone was normal.A cervical spine radiograph ( Fig. 1) was initially obtained, followed by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging (Fig. 2) and computed tomography (CT) (Fig 3). What do the images show? What is the status of the cervical spinal cord?
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