We reviewed the records of 143 patients, 2 months to 15 years old, who were seen at the Mayo Clinic between 1950 and 1991 because of an injury to the cervical spine. There was a clear demarcation between the characteristics of the injury of 2 age-groups. Children who were less than 11 years old had fewer injuries as a group, were most often injured in falls, tended to have a predominance of ligamentous injuries of the cephalic portion of the cervical spine, and had a high rate of mortality as a consequence of injury to the spinal cord. Children who were 11 through 15 years old had more injuries as a group, were most often injured during sports and recreational activities, had a higher male-to-female ratio, were more frequently injured in the caudal portion of the cervical spine, and had a pattern of injury similar to that of adults. The age and sex-adjusted incidence was 7.41 per 100,000 population per year.
Copyright remains with the authors and publisher.
We reviewed the records of 143 patients, 2 months to 15 years old, who were seen at the Mayo Clinic between 1950 and 1991 because of an injury to the cervical spine. There was a clear demarcation between the characteristics of the injury of 2 age-groups. Children who were less than 11 years old had fewer injuries as a group, were most often injured in falls, tended to have a predominance of ligamentous injuries of the cephalic portion of the cervical spine, and had a high rate of mortality as a consequence of injury to the spinal cord. Children who were 11 through 15 years old had more injuries as a group, were most often injured during sports and recreational activities, had a higher male-to-female ratio, were more frequently injured in the caudal portion of the cervical spine, and had a pattern of injury similar to that of adults. The age and sex-adjusted incidence was 7.41 per 100,000 population per year.
Copyright remains with the authors and publisher.