[Thoracic and lumbar spinal injuries in children and adolescents]

Spinal injuries are generally very rare in childhood. Fractures of the thoracic and lumbar spine occur mainly in older children and adolescents. Exact knowledge of the anatomy is essential for accurate diagnosis in still incomplete ossification. With increasing age the classification can be performed by using the AO classification over the age of 8 years. Neurological symptoms in the thoracic and lumbar spine occur mainly in adolescence. Conventional radiography is the standard diagnostic tool for thoracic and lumbar spinal injuries. With the appearance of abnormal neurological deficits magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) diagnostics should also be performed and for operative cases computed tomography (CT) scans are mandatory. The most common fractures of the thoracic and lumbar spine are compression fractures (type A) which can generally be treated conservatively due to the stable situation but unstable fractures of the thoracic and lumbar spine (types B and C) are stabilized dorsally (internal fixation). Ventral stabilization with vertebral body replacement is occasionally necessary in adolescents. Spinal injuries in children have a good overall prognosis.