Trattamento delle lesioni del rachide nel polifratturato di eta' pediatrica

Spine injuries involve 1 to 5% of children admitted to trauma centers and a high index of suspicion is warranted owing to the potential severe consequences of unstable lesions. Evaluation of cervical and lumbar trauma in children requires an understanding of developmental anatomy to differentiate trauma from age-appropriate findings. Generally speaking, young children more often have ligamentous injuries, whereas older children and adolescents have bone injuries as the spine takes on adult features. The aim of this review is to provide a concise overview of the major aspects involved in spine injuries detection and management in children. Epidemiology is discussed first, and then appropriate precautions and paediatric spine immobilization protocols are presented. Details of paediatric spine radiological anatomy are included and our institutional spine clearance protocol is discussed. Lastly, a short paragraph is devoted to analyze treatment of spinal cord injuries in children and halo immobilization.