The following is a summary of the systematic review findings up to the date of our most recent literature search. If you have a specific clinical case, we strongly recommend you read all of the relevant references as cited and look for additional material published outside our search dates.
Review last updated in March 2010
Spinal injuries in children are uncommon and most arise from motor vehicle crashes or sport-related incidents in older children 1. Abusive spinal fractures are rarely recorded, and it’s difficult to ascertain their true prevalence. The paediatric spine is particularly susceptible to cervical injuries due to its orientation and the relative weight of the head in comparison to low muscle tone 2. This can predispose children to spinal cord injury without obvious injury to the musculoskeletal structures 3.
This review aims to characterise abusive spinal injury and its associated radiological features. Since both musculoskeletal and spinal cord injuries are included, the studies were identified and reviewed during our fractures and neurological injury systematic reviews. Therefore, we have used both the fractures and neurological injury methodology and tools.
The review seeks to answer the following review question:
References
- Cirak B, Ziegfeld S, Knight VM, Chang D, Avellino AM, Paidas CN. Spinal Injuries in Children. Journal of Pediatric Surgery. 2004;39(4):607-612 [Pubmed]
- Bilston LE, Brown J. Pediatric spinal injury type and severity are age and mechanism dependent. Spine. 2007;32(21):2339-2347 [Pubmed]
- Pang D. Spinal cord injury without radiographic abnormality in children, 2 decades later. Neurosurgery. 2004;55(6):1325-1343 [Pubmed]