Pediatric Cervical Spine Trauma Research Articles

Pediatric Cervical Spine Trauma: A Narrative Review.

Narrative review. To provide an updated overview of pediatric cervical spine trauma. Pediatric cervical spine trauma can cause debilitating morbidity and mortality and neurological impairment. The unique anatomic features of the developing cervical spine can predispose children to injuries. We reviewed the pediatric cervical spine trauma literature in PubMed and EMBASE. Pediatric cervical spine injury occurs in 1%-2% of pediatric trauma. The most frequent cause is motor vehicle collisions, with sports-related injuries being more common in older children. Larger head-to-body ratios and tissue elasticity can predispose young children to a greater risk of injury higher in the craniocervical junction and cervical spine. Standardized protocols and classification systems, such as the Pediatric Cervical Spine Clearance Working Group protocol and the AO Spine Injury and Subaxial Cervical Spine Injury Classifications, are valuable in triage as well as for assessing the need for operative versus nonoperative management. In general, operative approaches and principles are similar to those in adults, with modern instrumentation and fusion techniques achieving high rates of successful arthrodesis. Effective management and treatment of pediatric cervical spine injuries depends on early and accurate diagnosis, a thorough understanding of pediatric spinal anatomy, and a versatile surgical armamentarium.

Pediatric Cervical Spine Trauma: Injury Patterns, Diagnosis, and Treatment

Pediatric Cervical Spine Trauma: Injury Patterns, Diagnosis, and Treatment

A Retrospective Look at a Cervical Spine Clearance Protocol in Pediatric Trauma Patients at a Level-1 Trauma Center.

Adult studies have demonstrated the efficacy of written protocols for clearance of the cervical spine. However, less than half of recently surveyed pediatric trauma centers report using a documented protocol. Little data exists on such protocols in pediatric populations, but interest remains because of potential reductions in radiation exposure, time to clearance, hospital stay, and specialist referral. However, missed injury can have devastating consequences. The purpose of this study is to examine the efficacy in detecting injury of an implemented cervical spine clearance protocol at a level-1 pediatric trauma hospital. A retrospective review was performed on pediatric patients presenting as activated traumas to the emergency department of a single level-1 pediatric trauma hospital between May 2010 and October 2018. This institution has utilized a written cervical spine clearance protocol throughout this time. Presence of cervical spine injury, documented clearance, cervical spine imaging, and follow-up documentation were reviewed for any missed injuries. There were no missed cervical spine injuries. Five-hundred sixty-three clinically significant cervical spine injuries were identified, representing 16.5% of patients. Of these, 96 were fractures, dislocations, or ligamentous injuries, representing 2.8% of all patients. Most cervical spine clearances were performed by trauma surgery. Advanced imaging of the cervical spine was ordered for 43.2% of patients overall and trended down over time. Documented cervical spine clearance protocols are effective for detection of significant injury in pediatric trauma patients. This study suggests these protocols minimize risk of missed injury and may prevent unnecessary radiation exposure, delayed clearance, prolonged hospitalization, or unnecessary specialist referral. Utilization of a standard written protocol for cervical spine clearance likely prevents missed injury and helps to minimize radiation exposure in pediatric populations. Further research is needed on evaluation and management of pediatric cervical spine trauma.

Imaging of pediatric cervical spine trauma.

While pediatric cervical spine injuries (CSI) are rare, they are associated with high morbidity and mortality and sometimes require expeditious surgical management. In this article, we aim to improve the diagnostic accuracy of pediatric CSI by reviewing normal pediatric cervical anatomy, typical pediatric CSI patterns, and common mimics of pediatric CSI. A literature review was conducted on pediatric CSI, its epidemiology, and the various imaging manifestations and mimics. The most common pediatric CSI occur in the upper cervical spine owing to the higher fulcrum and larger head at a young age, namely prior to age 9years, while lower CSI occur more frequently in patients older than 9years. While various craniocervical measurements may be utilized to identify craniocervical disruption, soft tissue injuries may be the only manifestation, thus making pediatric CSI difficult to diagnose on initial imaging. In the acute setting, CT cervical spine is an appropriate initial imaging modality for pediatric CSI evaluation. MRI serves as an additional tool to exclude or identify injuries when initial findings are equivocal. It is essential to recognize the unique anatomy and biomechanics of the pediatric spine and thus discern common pediatric CSI patterns and their mimics.

Emergent Imaging of Pediatric Cervical Spine Trauma.

Owing to physiologic and biomechanical differences, the incidence, patterns, distributions, and mechanisms of spinal injury in children differ from those in adults. Furthermore, evaluation of the spine can be complicated by synchondroses, developmental and/or anatomic variants, and interpretative pitfalls that are unique to the developing spine of a child. Although the incidence of spinal injury is lower in children, the sequelae are more severe, with higher morbidity and mortality. Mechanistic differences, notably nonaccidental trauma in infants and toddlers; physiologic differences, notably a disproportionately large head relative to body size and ligamentous and soft-tissue laxity; and the propensity of these injuries to occur at higher spinal levels (craniocervical junction to C3) are contributing factors. In addition, imaging recommendations for children are different. Assessment of spinal alignment and adjacent soft tissues, particularly at the craniocervical junction, with a low threshold for performing MRI, is key to diagnosing these serious injuries. The patterns of common pediatric cervical spine injuries, including craniocervical junction injury and spinal cord injury without a correlating radiographic abnormality, are reviewed. ©RSNA, 2019.

Current Concepts in Pediatric Cervical Spine Trauma

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.

Imaging, Clearance, and Controversies in Pediatric Cervical Spine Trauma

Imaging, Clearance, and Controversies in Pediatric Cervical Spine Trauma

Imaging, Clearance, and Controversies in Pediatric Cervical Spine Trauma

Diagnosing cervical spine injury in children can be difficult because the clinical examination can be unreliable, and evidence-based consensus guidelines for cervical spine injury evaluation in children have not been established. However, the consequences of cervical spine injuries are significant. Therefore, practitioners should understand common patterns of cervical spine injury in children, the evidence and indications for cervical spine imaging, and which imaging modalities to use. Herein, we review the epidemiology and unique anatomical features of pediatric cervical spine injury. In addition, we will summarize current practice for clearance and imaging of the pediatric cervical spine in trauma.

A retrospective comparison of CT and MRI in detecting pediatric cervical spine injury

Although clinical criteria have been applied in the assessment of pediatric cervical spine trauma, no consensus has been established when imaging is required. With the increasing prevalence of computed tomography (CT) use in pediatric trauma and the concern for radiation in children, we sought to evaluate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and CT in detecting pediatric cervical spine injuries. We retrospectively queried a pediatric trauma database and identified pediatric patients who underwent both CT and MRI studies of the cervical spine and derived the statistical measures of each imaging modality to detect osseous and ligamentous/soft tissue injury. Eighty-four patients were identified with a mean age of 9.0 ± 5.8 years (56% male). Sixteen patients were identified with injury, 12 with soft tissue abnormalities on MRI (nine edema and six ligamentous), and 6 with osseous abnormalities on CTs (six osseous fractures and one discogenic injury). Of the six patients who presented with CT-identified osseous injuries, MRI detected all six fractures as well as an additional compression fracture. Using CT as the standard for osseous injury, MRI had a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 97%, negative predictive value (NPV) of 75%, and positive predictive value (PPV) of 100%. Using MRI as the standard for soft tissue injury, CT had a sensitivity of 23%, specificity of 100%, NPV of 88%, and PPV of 100%. Further studies are required to investigate the use of MRI to detect osseous injuries.

Pediatric Cervical Spine Trauma

Pediatric Cervical Spine Trauma

Pediatric Cervical Spine Trauma

Pediatric Cervical Spine Trauma

Pediatric Cervical Spine Trauma

Pediatric cervical spine injuries are rare and are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Pediatric anatomy and physiology predispose to upper cervical spine injury and spinal cord injury without radiologic abnormality in contrast to lower cervical spine injury seen in adults. Care of pediatric patients is difficult because they have a greater head-to-body ratio than adults and may have difficulty cooperating with a history and physical examination. In evaluating a child with a suspected cervical spine injury, radiography may be supplemented with CT or MRI. Definitive management of pediatric cervical spine trauma must be adapted to the distinctive anatomy and growth potential of the patient. As with all injuries, prevention is necessary to reduce the incidence of trauma to the pediatric spine.

Pediatric cervical spine trauma imaging: a practical approach

Cervical spine trauma in children is rare and the diagnosis can be challenging due to anatomical and biomechanical differences as compared to adults. A variety of algorithms have been used in adults to accurately diagnose injuries, but have not been fully studied in pediatric patients. In this article we review suggested imaging protocols and the general characteristics, types of injuries, and measurements used to diagnose cervical spine injuries in children.

Imaging of cervical spine injuries of childhood

Cervical spine injuries of children, though rare, have a high morbidity and mortality. The pediatric cervical spine is anatomically and biomechanically different from that of adults. Hence, the type, level and outcome of cervical spine injuries in children are different from those seen in adults. Normal developmental variants seen in children can make evaluation of the pediatric cervical spine challenging. This article reviews the epidemiology of pediatric cervical spine trauma, normal variants seen in children and specific injuries that are more common in the pediatric population. We also propose an evidence-based imaging protocol to avoid unnecessary imaging studies and minimize radiation exposure in children.

Major Cervical Spine Injuries in Children and Adolescents

A population-based study of pediatric cervical spine trauma in the Auckland region over 7 years starting in March 1989 identified 32 patients younger than 15 years of age who sustained a fracture, dislocation, or major ligamentous injury including SCIWORA (spinal cord injury without radiographic abnormality). Thirty-one percent had associated injuries and 53% had abnormal neurologic findings on presentation. Children younger than 10 years of age with cervical spine trauma more commonly sustained the injury in a motor vehicle accident and had a preponderance of injuries of the upper cervical spine. Children 10 years of age or older were more often injured during sport or recreational activity and the injuries followed a more typically adult pattern. Treatment included closed reduction in two patients and posterior open reduction and stabilization in eight patients (25%) with one of these also requiring decompression. All patients treated surgically had a very satisfactory outcome.

Computed tomographic evaluation of C1–C2 in Pediatric cervical spine trauma

The supine open-mouth odontoid view required in most cervical spine trauma series often is difficult to obtain, especially in the pediatric or uncooperative patient. This retrospective study compared thin-section computed tomography with multiplanar reconstructions and the standard plain film cervical spine examination for evaluation of C1–C2 in a group of 31 pediatric patients age 6 years and under with combined craniocervical trauma. The plain film examination demonstrated adequate visualization of C1–C2 in only 58% of patients. The average number of anteroposterior odontoid films was 3.5 per examination (range, 1–6 films). Only 9% of anteroposterior open-mouth odontoid views were felt to be of adequate diagnostic quality vs. 60% of the Fuch’s odontoid view. The computed tomographic examination was diagnostic in 91% of examinations and could be acquired more rapidly.