Traumatic Paraplegia in Children

Abstract

Spinal cord trauma in children is uncommon relative to the incidence in teenagers and adults; the causes of injury also differ. There are important differences in the manner of presentation of the acute spinal cord injury in children under the age of 13 years, both in the pattern of vertebral injury and in neurologic characteristics. Unfortunately, little is known of the skeletal and neural pathology in children due to the rarity of autopsy material. This makes it difficult to make accurate comparisons with the adult, in whom the pathology is beginning to be better understood. Although the nature of the complications of spinal paralysis in children is essentially the same as seen in adults, the incidence and severity differ somewhat, being affected particularly by the presence and severity of the spinal deformity, a complication rarely seen in adult spinal paralysis but common in children.