Spine and Spinal Cord Injuries in Children: General Aspects Including Pure Ligamentous Injuries in Children

Abstract

Spine trauma is rare in children, occurring with an incidence of only 1.99 per 100,000 and accounting for just 2-5% of all spine trauma; however, it represents a potentially devastating diagnosis. The higher mortality rates associated with these injuries in children are largely due to the unique biomechanical properties and anatomy of the pediatric spine, which is significantly different from the adult spine. This chapter discusses the current management strategies for spine and spinal cord injuries in children, including pure ligamentous injuries. Keywords Apophyseal fractures and herniations • Atlantoaxial rotatory subluxation/fixa-tion • Atlantooccipital dislocation (AOD) • Burst fractures • Cervical spine immobilization • Compression fractures • Condylar-C1 interval (CCI) • Flexion-distraction injuries • National Emergency X-Radiography Utilization Study (NEXUS) • Neonatal spinal cord injury • Odontoid epiphysiolysis • Posterior atlantoaxial fixation • Spinal cord injuries without radiographic abnormality (SCIWORA) • Spine and spinal cord injuries • Spinous process/transverse process fractures • Thoracolumbar injury classification and severity score (TLICS) • Thoracolumbar spine trauma Contents