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Pediatric Spinal Traumas
Salim Katar1, Pinar Aydin Ozturk2, Mehmet Ozel3
1Department of Neurosurgery, Balikesir University, Balikesir, Turkey.
Insights
Pediatric spinal trauma (PST) is uncommon, with injury location varying by age. While younger children experience more cervical injuries, older children face adult-like trauma patterns, highlighting age-specific risks.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Traumatology
- Spinal Cord Injury Research
- Pediatric Orthopedics
Background:
- Childhood trauma is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality.
- Pediatric spinal trauma (PST) is less common than in adults, with most research focusing on cervical injuries.
- Understanding the epidemiology and characteristics of PST is crucial for effective management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the characteristics of pediatric spinal trauma, including age, trauma type, and injury level.
- To compare findings with existing literature on pediatric spinal trauma.
- To identify age-related patterns in PST mechanisms and affected spinal regions.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of 30 pediatric trauma patients with confirmed spinal pathology.
- Analysis of patient age, trauma mechanism, injury type, and spinal level.
- Comparison of age distributions across different injury mechanisms and spinal levels.
Main Results:
- The mean age of patients was 166.4 months.
- Lumbar spine injuries were most common (53.3%), followed by thoracic (26.6%) and cervical (20.0%).
- Mean age varied significantly by spinal injury level, with cervical injuries occurring in younger children (113.3 months) and lumbar injuries in older children (183.3 months).
Conclusions:
- PST incidence and injury patterns are age-dependent.
- Cervical trauma is more prevalent in younger children, while older children present with injury patterns similar to adults.
- Pediatric patients with spinal trauma face a higher risk of neurological deficits and multisystem injuries compared to adults.
Introduction:
Although childhood trauma is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, the incidence of spinal trauma is significantly lower in children than in adults. Existing studies on pediatric spinal trauma (PST) largely concern cervical trauma because of its frequency of incidence. We aimed to obtain more information by examining all types of spinal trauma, and evaluating factors such as age, trauma type, injury type, and American Spinal Injury Association score and comparing them with data from the literature.
Methods:
We retrospectively reviewed 30 pediatric trauma patients with spinal pathology confirmed by spinal imaging.
Results:
The mean age was 166.4 months. Mean age for each mechanism of injury was: 142.7 months for a simple fall, 149.0 months for injury involving a foreign object, 163.5 months for a fall from a height, and 181.6 months for traffic accidents. There was no statistically significant difference in mean age for different mechanisms of injury (p = 0.372). The levels of the spinal injuries were: lumbar 53.3% (16), thoracic 26.6% (8), and cervical 20.0% (6). Mean age for each level of spinal injury was 113.3 months for the cervical area, 172.2 months for the thoracic area, and 183.3 months for the lumbar area. Mean age was found to be statistically significant (p = 0.000).
Discussion:
PST is uncommon and the type of trauma and the spinal level affected varies with age. Cervical trauma predominates at younger ages, but adult-like traumas begin to occur with increasing age. It should be considered that the risk of developing neurological deficits is higher in pediatric patients than in adults, and the risk of multisystem injury is also high.
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