Anterior cord syndrome below the level of injury presents with which combination?

• A. Bilateral loss of motor function and pain/temperature with preserved light touch
• B. Bilateral loss of light touch and proprioception
• C. Loss of vibration sense only
• D. Pure motor loss with sensory intact

Answer: (A)

Anterior cord syndrome presents with motor weakness and loss of pain and temperature sensation below the level of injury, while the dorsal columns (vibration and proprioception and other fine touch modalities) are preserved. The described pattern—bilateral loss of motor function and pain/temperature with preserved light touch—fits this classic distribution: the anterior pathways are affected, causing motor and spinothalamic deficits, while the preserved pathways supply light touch. The other options would imply dorsal-column involvement (loss of proprioception or vibration) or isolated motor loss with intact sensory findings, which does not match anterior cord syndrome.