Spinal Injury in Children

Yeo, Seong Woo; Kim, Kyung Soo; Hwang, Sung Kyoo; Hamm, In Suk; Park, Yeun Mook; Kim, Seung Lae

Abstract

26 pediatric patients of spinal injury, below the age of 15 were admitted to KyungPook National University Hospital from Jan. 1972 to Jun. 1987, which accounted for 5.2% of the entire cases of spinal injury during the same period. Most number of cases fell in the age brackets of 2-8 and 12-24. Causes of the cases were in the order of traffic accident(48%), falling, direct blow. sports. and stab injury. The sites ran in such order as cervical( 30.8%), thoracic, lumbar and thoracolumbar spine. The breakdown of clinical findings was: Grade I-8, Grade II-5, Grade III-4, and Grade IV-8. Forty percent of the cases were found with no radiological abnormalities, still keeping the neurological deficits. Fracture was classified as: simple-6, dislocation-7, and subluxation-2. Methods of treatment were: conservative-l4, traction-5, laminectomy-5, and fusion-1. All patients in the categories from Grade I to III recovered to a good state. In Grade N, one each for good and fair recovery was achieved, five were poor and one expired from complication of head injury.