title: Traumatic cervical spine injuries in childhood and adolescence.
abstract: Of 84 consecutive children and adolescents with traumatic cervical spine injuries treated over a 10-year period, 61 (73%) were available for review. Age ranged from the newborn period to 17 years. Analysis of injury type revealed four groups of roughly equal incidence: atlantoaxial rotary subluxation, upper cervical fracture or dislocation, lower cervical injury, and spinal cord injury without radiographic abnormality. Forty-four percent of patients incurred a neurologic injury. Falling from a height was the most common mechanism of injury. Apart from patients with complete neurologic deficits, the prognosis for these injuries is good.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Birney
authors.forename: E N
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Hanley
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001268:Atlanto-Axial Joint / Q000293:injuries*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008022:Ligaments / Q000293:injuries; D009333:Neck; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D011859:Radiography; D013124:Spinal Injuries / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013131:Spine / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging