Pediatric Thoracolumbar Spine Trauma

Abstract

Thoracolumbar spine trauma is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in pediatric patients. Special attention to this population is necessary because several unique features of the growing pediatric spine separate these patients from adult patients. These injuries are frequently associated with high-energy trauma and concurrent thoracic or abdominal injuries that require coordinated multidisciplinary care. Thoracolumbar spine trauma in pediatric patients may lead to compression fractures, burst fractures, flexion-distraction injuries (ie, Chance fracture), fracture-dislocation injuries, apophyseal fractures/herniations, and spinous process and transverse process fractures. Depending on the nature of the injury and the patient's level of skeletal maturity, thoracolumbar spinal injuries may have substantial ability to heal and remodel. Because the impact of thoracolumbar spinal injury on pediatric patients can be devastating, appropriate early diagnosis and management, as well as long-term follow-up, are imperative.

Thoracic Spine Fracture in 18 Month Old Child; Case Report

“…1 This mobility and elasticity in the infant spine explains the relatively low incidence of spinal column injuries and the proportionately high incidence of spinal cord injuries without radiographic abnormalities (SCIWORA). 3,7 However; in our case a compression fracture along with an opposite cord contusion were encountered.…”

“…12 Presence of a neurological deficit alarms minds to investigate the brain and spine and according to the level of the deficit, the level of the injury is detected. 7,15 Case Report: Eighteen-month-old male toddler was admitted to the emergency department with history of falling from height and presented with multiple abrasions allover face and upper limbs then referred for neurosurgical consultation. The parents claimed that the baby had fallen from the second floor onto ground at about 7 meters height.…”

Asymmetrical pedicle subtraction osteotomy for progressive kyphoscoliosis caused by a pediatric Chance fracture: a case report

“…Since the injury of PCFs is mainly the posterior osteoligamentous complex, reduction and stabilization with posterior instrumentation should be considered [18]. When treating acute PCFs surgically, pedicle screw instrumentation, which extended one or two levels above and below the affected vertebra, seems to be a popular treatment [19]. With a recent progress of spinal instrumentations, percutaneous pedicle screw fixation may have evolved as an alternative approach for PCFs [5, 20].…”

Verletzungen der thorakolumbalen Wirbelsäule im Kindes- und Jugendalter

“…Sie sind nur selten mit neurologischen Ausfällen verbunden. Führend sind A1-Verletzungen, wobei die kranialen Endplatten wesentlich häufiger betroffen sind als die kaudalen [12]. Typisch für Kinder und Jugendliche sind serielle Kompressionsfrakturen im BWS-Bereich.…”