[Thoracic and lumbar fractures in adolescents. An eight-year study]

In order to know the characteristics of these lesions in our environment and compare with those the adults, a transversal and descriptive study of adolescents between 12 and 18 years who were hospitalized for thoracic and lumbar fracture in two centers of high level trauma in our country for 8 years was performed. The variables studied were applied statistical analysis descriptive and correlation.

They were found significant date by associating the causes of damage with associated lesions (p = 0.006) and the initial neurological damage associated with the final neurological damage (p = 0.000).

They were registered seven teenagers with 10 fractures firearm, as rare cause of injury. An increase in the frequency of thoracic and lumbar fractures in adolescents with increasing age was found. The thoracic and lumbar fractures in adolescents caused by road accidents are associated with lesions in the chest and abdomen. And when are caused by falls are associated with lower extremity fractures. In addition, 13.5% of cases showed significant changes toward improvement in the initial neurological damage.