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Paediatric cervical spine injures. Nineteen years experience of a single centre

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Abstract

Purpose

This observational study aims to describe pediatric C-spine injuries from a level 1 trauma centre through a period of 19 years.

Methods

Clinical records of pediatric trauma patients admitted to a level 1 trauma centre between 1991 and 2009 were analyzed. Patients were stratified by age into groups A (8 or less) and B (9 to 16), and in lower (C0-C2) and upper (C3-C7) spine injuries. Several variables were studied.

Results

Seventy-five cases of C-spine injuries (nine SCIWORA) were identified. Group A included 23 patients and group B 52. In group A, skeletal injuries at the upper C-spine were more common than injuries at the lower C-spine, whereas in group B, injuries of the lower C-spine were more frequent (p = 0.035). Motor vehicle accidents were the main cause of injury (44 %); 25.3 % of patients were surgically treated. Thirty-nine patients presented neurologic deficits, 16 of which improved. The overall mortality rate was 18.7 % and significantly higher in patients with neurological damages (p < 0.001)

Conclusions

This study revealed a low incidence of cervical spine injuries in the paediatric population. As in previous reports younger children mainly sustained injuries at the upper C-spine, higher incidence of spinal injuries, and higher risk of death than older children.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Orthopaedic Department, Centro Hospitalar de São João, EPE, Surgery Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal

    Manuel Ribeiro da Silva, Daniela Linhares, Manuel Santos Carvalho, Pedro Negrão, Rui Peixoto Pinto & Nuno Neves

  2. Health Information and Decision Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Centro Hospitalar de S. João, EPE, Porto, Portugal

    Daniela Linhares

  3. Orthopaedic Department, Hospital da Prelada, Porto, Portugal

    Pedro Cacho Rodrigues

  4. Orthopaedic Department, Centro Hospitalar de Entre o Douro e Vouga, EPE, Santa Maria da Feira, Portugal

    Eurico Lisboa Monteiro

Authors
  1. Manuel Ribeiro da Silva
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  2. Daniela Linhares
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  3. Pedro Cacho Rodrigues
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  4. Eurico Lisboa Monteiro
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  5. Manuel Santos Carvalho
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  6. Pedro Negrão
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  7. Rui Peixoto Pinto
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  8. Nuno Neves
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Manuel Ribeiro da Silva.

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Each author declares no conflict of interest.

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This research was submitted to and approved by an ethic committee.

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Ribeiro da Silva, M., Linhares, D., Cacho Rodrigues, P. et al. Paediatric cervical spine injures. Nineteen years experience of a single centre. International Orthopaedics (SICOT) 40, 1111–1116 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00264-016-3158-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00264-016-3158-7

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