Abstract
We reviewed 23 patients of injury to the spine who were under 15 years of age and treated at Wonju Christian Hospital from January, 1978 to December, 1987. The patients were classified into 3 different categories, that were frsctures(17 cases), dislocations(3cases), and fracture-dislocation(3 cases). We analyzed the cause of injury, sexage distribution, treatment and neurological injuries. The results were as follows : l. Among the 23 cases, there were 16 boys(70%) and 7 girls(30%). The mean age was 11 years of age, and ages of active period, that is 10 to 15 years of age, were most common, 17 cases(74%). 2. The most common cause of injury was fall from a height, 13 cases(57%). The most common location of injury was cervicsl spine, 10 cases(43%) and among these cases, injury to upper cervical portion(C1–C3) was more common than lower cervical portion(C4–C7). 3. The cases of multiple compression fracture were 6 patients(26%), and all cases were located thoracic or thoraclumbar junction. 4. Most cases were stable spinal injury, 18 cases(78%), and the most common mechanism of injury were compreesion injuries due to hyperflexion, 15 cases(65%). 5. The most common associated injury was head injury, 9 cases(39%), and associated neurological complications were in 4 cases, 3 cases of these were recovered. We could ascertain that the prognosis of children spinal cord injury is better than that of adult. 6. Restoration of the height of the involved vertebral bocy occurred in all but one compression fractures of vertebral body. 7. There were 3 cases of epiphyseal injury, 2 of these were epiphyseal separations of odotoid process of atlas, the other was fracture of lumbar vertebral apphysis. 8. All but two were treated conservatively and the results were good. In stable spinal injury, we considerded that the duration of treatment was 4 to 6 weeks.