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Updated: Sep 28, 2026
Creating Rigidly Stabilized Fractures for Assessing Intramembranous Ossification, Distraction Osteogenesis, or Healing of Critical Sized Defects
Published on: April 11, 2012
Spontaneously occurring fractures of the spine in skeletally immature animals
M L O'Neal1, M J Lord, T M Ganey
1University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa.
Study Design:
Twelve spontaneously occurring fractures of the spin in nine skeletally immature animals were investigated.
Objectives:
These fractures were analyzed radiographically, morphologically, and histologically.
Summary Of Background Data:
The most commonly injured regions were the cervical and lumbar regions. Multiple-level fractures were noted in three specimens.
Methods:
Morphologic and histologic examination invariably detected fractures in cases of spinal cord injury without radiographic abnormality.
Results:
The end-plate physes and synchondroses were found to be the "weak links" for propagation of fractures. Radiographically benign-appearing ring apophyseal fractures were found histologically to propagate from the end-plate physis through the vertebral body via the contiguous neurocentral synchondroses.
Conclusions:
The observed morphologic and histologic fracture patterns should provide a better understanding of the probable comparable pathoanatomy of spine and spinal cord injuries in children.
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