-plegia Also -plegic.
Paralysis.
[Greek plēgē, stroke.]
Paraplegia (Greek, from paraplēssein, strike at the side, from para, beside) is paralysis of the legs and lower body, typically caused by spinal injury or disease; hemiplegia (Greek hēmi-, half) is paralysis of one side of the body; quadriplegia (Latin, from quattuor, four) or tetraplegia (Greek, from tettares, four) is paralysis of all four limbs; cardioplegia is the temporary arrest of the heart's action to enable surgery to be carried out; ophthalmoplegia (Greek ophthalmos, eye) is paralysis of the muscles within or surrounding the eye. Associated adjectives are created using -plegic: paraplegic, hemiplegic.
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