Diagnostic Yield of Axial Computed Tomography Scans for Pediatric Axial Skeletal Injuries

Retrospective cohort study.

To evaluate the diagnostic yield of computed tomography (CT) imaging of the axial skeleton in pediatric patients evaluated a level I trauma center.

CT imaging has become ubiquitous in the assessment of axial skeletal injuries in trauma patients.

This is a retrospective study from one Level I trauma center of patients undergoing CT imaging during pediatric trauma assessment. Medical records of pediatric trauma patients 18-year old and younger who underwent axial skeletal CT imaging from 2013 to 2015 were evaluated. The following were assessed: mechanism of injury, age, sex, race/ethnicity, presence of fracture, management of fracture.

A total of 831 patients were assessed, there were 355 (42.7%) females and 476 males (57.3%) with an average age of 15.4 (2 mo-18 yrs). 588 (70.8%) were White, 164 (19.7%) were African-American, 12 (1.4%) were Asians, 67 (8.1%) other, and 46 (5.5%) identified as Hispanic. There were 45 patients (5.4%) who sustained 52 fractures. Common mechanisms were motor vehicle accidents (MVA) 28%, sports injuries (18%), and fall from height (15%). 35.9% of fractures were identified on plain radiographs. Nine injuries were treated surgically (one cervical, two thoracic, two lumbar, and four pelvic); three of these were identified on radiographs. From the 14 patients with cervical spine fractures none were detected on radiographs.

In this large series of 831 pediatric patients undergoing axial CT imaging, the rate of axial fractures was 5.4%. The majority of these fractures were managed non-surgically. Only 35.9% of fractures were identified on radiographs.Level of Evidence: 3.