title: Cervical spine trauma in the pediatric patient.
abstract: Injuries to the pediatric cervical spine occur infrequently. Numerous unique anatomic and biomechanical features of the pediatric spine render it much more flexible than the adult spine. These features give rise to significant differences in the presentation, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of pediatric cervical trauma compared with adults. Younger children more often suffer injury to the upper cervical spine with greater neurologic injury and fewer fractures. Once the child reaches the age of 10 years, he or she develops a more adult-type spine, and injuries are thus more similar to those seen in the adult population. The unique anatomic and biomechanical differences in the pediatric spine are discussed, along with the various common and unique injuries.
authors.affiliation: 88th Medical Group, 4881 Sugar Maple Drive, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH 45431, USA. paul.klimo@wpafb.af.mil
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Klimo
authors.forename: Marcus L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Ware
authors.forename: Nalin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Brockmeyer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001268:Atlanto-Axial Joint / Q000293:injuries*; D001269:Atlanto-Occipital Joint / Q000293:injuries*; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D004204:Joint Dislocations / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures; D013124:Spinal Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*