What term is used to describe paralysis from the waist down?

Paraplegia specifically refers to paralysis that affects the lower half of the body, typically resulting in the loss of function in the legs and possibly the lower trunk. This condition arises from damage to the spinal cord in regions that control the lower limb functionality, usually due to injury or disease processes affecting the thoracic, lumbar, or sacral areas of the spinal cord.

Quadriplegia, on the other hand, involves paralysis of all four limbs and is associated with higher spinal cord injuries, typically in the cervical region. Hemiplegia refers to paralysis of one side of the body, commonly resulting from strokes or brain injuries affecting one hemisphere of the brain. Monoplegia is paralysis that affects only a single limb. Thus, paraplegia is the correct classification for paralysis from the waist down, distinguishing it from these other types of paralysis that involve different areas of the body.