Immediately following a spinal cord injury, a patient asks about the extent of impairment that will result from the injury. The best response by the nurse is:

The extent of your injury cannot be determined until any secondary injury to the cord has resolved.

An MRI can reveal the extent of cord damage.

You will have normal function when spinal shock resolves and the reflex arc returns.

Because rehabilitation can affect the return of function, it will be years before impairment can be determined.