title: Spinal cord injury in pediatric age in Spain. Reality of a national reference center.
abstract: The aim of this study was to analyze the incidence and the main characteristics of ambulant children with spinal cord injury (SCI) treated at the Unit of Biomechanics and Technical Assistance, at the National Spinal Cord Injury Hospital in Toledo, Spain. To date, there are no detailed studies on the effects of this disease in children regarding their walking ability.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study was performed including all patients attending the unit between January 2006 and December 2013, who were aged 18 years or younger and who were outpatients able to walk independently for at least 10 m, with or without technical aids.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-eight patients were included in this study (25 males and 23 females) aged between 2 and 18 years (mean age, 12 ± 2.31 years). The etiology of SCI ranged between congenital (33.33%), traumatic (29.16%), and neoplastic (8.33%), and the level of injury varied between cervical (31.25%), lumbar (29.16%), a non-spinal origin (20.83%), dorsal (16.66%), and sacral (2.08%). The mean score on the Barthel Index was 82.61, the mean value of the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) locomotion score was 6.4, and 29 patients did not require the use of walking aids (WISCI 20).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings of this study contribute to the knowledge regarding the situation of children with SCI in Spain. The incidence of pediatric SCI is very low; however, the provision of care remains a personal and social challenge.
authors.affiliation: Depatment of Nursery, Physiotherapy and Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad de Almeria, Carretera de Sacramento s/n. La Cañada De San Urbano, Almería, 04120, Spain, spd205@ual.es.
authors.forename: Sagrario
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pérez-de la Cruz
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cimolin
authors.forename: Angel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gil-Agudo
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology
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