title: Trauma.
abstract: Traumatic brain and spine injury (TBI/TSI) is a leading cause of death and lifelong disability in children. The biomechanical properties of the child's brain, skull, and spine, the size of the child, the age-specific activity pattern, and variance in trauma mechanisms result in a wide range of age-specific traumas and patterns of brain and spine injuries. A detailed knowledge about the various types of primary and secondary pediatric head and spine injuries is essential to better identify and understand pediatric TBI/TSI, which enhances sensitivity and specificity of diagnosis, will guide therapy, and may give important information about the prognosis. The purposes of this chapter are to: (1) discuss the unique epidemiology, mechanisms, and characteristics of TBI/TSI in children; (2) review the anatomic and functional imaging techniques that can be used to study common and rare pediatric TBI/TSI and their complications; (3) comprehensively review frequent primary and secondary brain injuries; and (4) to give a short overview of two special types of pediatric TBI/TSI: birth-related and nonaccidental injuries.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Radiology, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, USA. Electronic address: thuisma1@jhmi.edu.
authors.forename: Thierry A G M
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Huisman
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Radiology, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Poretti
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D059906:Neuroimaging; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: brain; children; neuroimaging; spine; traumatic injury