Epidemiology of pediatric spinal trauma with neurological deficits in Catalonia: a 36-year experience.

Purpose: Existing literature on pediatric traumatic spinal cord injury (PTSCI) demonstrates large variations in characteristics, incidence, time-periods and etiology, worldwide. Epidemiological studies addressing injuries to the total spine, conducted in Southern European regions are remarkably scarce; therefore we aimed to investigate long-term trends analyzing etiology, fracture location and type, single or multiple fractures, associated lesions and neurological status in Catalonia, Spain.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study. We analyzed post-acute patients after PTSCI, aged 0-17, admitted with neurological deficits between 1986 and 2022 to a specialized hospital in Catalonia. Neurological deficits were assessed using the American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS).

Results: Two hundred and forty nine children were included, 174 (69.9%) boys and 75 (30.1%) girls; mean age was 13.9 years (range, 2 months to 17 years). Two hundred and four children (82%) had ≥ 1 spinal fractures, 66 (26.5%) dislocations and 8 (3.2%) SCIWORA. Fractures were multilevel contiguous in 108 (43.4%) cases. Fracture types comprised 81 vertebral compactions (32.5%), 22 burst fractures (8.8%), 7 odontoid (2.8%) and 4 tear-drops (1.6%). There were ≥ 1 associated lesions in 112 cases (45%): in limbs in 23 cases (9.2%), thorax or abdomen in 59 (23.7%) and skull or face in 81 (32.5%). In 44 cases (39% of the 112) there were multiple lesions. Locations comprised cervical spine in 105 cases (42%), thoracic spine in 124 (49%), lumbar spine in 18 (7%), and sacrum in 2 (0.8%). Road traffic accidents (RTAs) were the main etiology (62.2%) over the whole period. However, from 2016 onwards, RTAs dropped below the rate of falls and sports injuries. The most common sites for injury in those aged 9 years or older were in the cervical (41.1%) and thoracic (50.7%) regions. Those aged 8 or under were far more likely to sustain a complete SCI (80.0%) or an accompanying traumatic brain injury (45.0%) likely due to higher numbers of pedestrian versus car RTAs. A significant peak in the occurrence of cases during 2006-2010 (20.1%) was identified with an absolute drop immediately after, during 2011-2015 (8.8%). A marked shift in trend is observed between 2016-2022 regarding age of injuries (an increase in 9 years or older), etiology (increase in falls and sports versus RTA), AIS grade (increase in incomplete lesions AIS B-D versus AIS A), severity (increase in tetraplegia versus paraplegia) and location (increase in cervical versus lumbar and thoracic injuries).

Conclusions: A shift in trend is observed in the past 7 years regarding age of injuries (increase in those older than 9), etiology (increase in falls and sports versus RTA), AIS grade (increase in incomplete lesions AIS B-D versus AIS A), severity (increase in tetraplegia versus paraplegia) and location (increase in cervical).

Level Of Evidence: IV.