Fractures of the thoracic and lumbar spine

Abstract

Injuries of the thoracic and lumbar spine in children are rare. The potential for continued growth, the presence of healthy disc tissue, the elasticity of the soft tissues, and well-mineralized bone distinguish these injuries from those in the adult. The immature spine has the capacity to remodel the vertebral body, but not the posterior elements. Restoration of height of a compressed vertebra is partly due to the hypervascularity of the reparative response and partly due to apophyseal stimulation. This probably accounts for the infrequent occurrence of kyphosis in children with multiple compression fractures. © Springer-Verlag London Limited 2010.