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Current Concepts in Pediatric Cervical Spine Trauma



Kunal Shah*, Agnivesh Tikoo, Manish K. Kothari, Abhay Nene
Wockhardt Hospitals, 1877, Dr. Anand Rao Nair Road, Mumbai Central (E), Mumbai- 400 011, India


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Creative Commons License
© 2017 Shah et al.

open-access license: This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC-BY 4.0), a copy of which is available at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

* Address correspondence to this author at the Wockhardt Hospitals, 1877, Dr. Anand Rao Nair Road, Mumbai Central (E), Mumbai- 400 011, India; Tel: +91-9930731911; E-mail: orthokunal@yahoo.com.


Abstract

Background:

Pediatric spinal trauma is rare and challenging entity. Although cervical spine is commonly affected, it is often missed on routine imaging investigations. Therefore better understanding of growing spine and its patho-physiology is crucial.

Methods:

Articles related to pediatric cervical trauma were searched on Pubmed and other online research data banks. We have summarized unique anatomy of pediatric spine, investigations followed by common injury patterns, their diagnostic challenges and management.

Results:

Immature spine follows typical injury patterns, so thorough knowledge of its presentation should be known. Primary physicians should be able to perform initial assessment based on clinical examination and investigations for early diagnosis. High index of suspicion and strategic approach leads to early diagnosis and prevents further morbidity and mortality.

Conclusion:

Spinal injuries in children are rare and typical. They are often missed and can have fatal consequences. Thorough understanding of pediatric anatomy and injury patterns helps in early diagnosis.

Keywords: Cervical, Diagnosis, Management, Pediatric, Synchondrosis, Trauma.