[Spinal injury in children].

We reported five cases of children with spinal injuries. Spinal injuries are rare in children, and most common from the occiput to C3 in children younger than 8 years. In our cases, two younger children had upper cervical lesions and two older children had lower lesions. These differences result from anatomical characteristics, such as special histological architecture of the growth zones in younger children. One patient had a delayed onset paraplegia without radiographic abnormality. This phenomenon seems to be one of the characteristics of the spinal injuries in children. Because of this, all children with head or neck injuries should be fully investigated. A nine-month-old child who suffered from a fracture of the odontoid process with atlantoaxial dislocation was treated by immobilization only, and the result was good. Generally, fracture of the odontoid process in young children can be treated by proper immobilization. One patient with fracture dislocation of the cervical spine died as a result of cord injury. So immediate surgical decompression is mandatory for patients with evidence of cord compression.