Outcome for Cervical Spine Trauma in Children

Outcome After Nonsurgical Treatments

• No advantage internal fixation lower C-spine: Functional outcomes for unstable lower cervical spine tear drop injuries are similar between those managed halo-body vest compared with internal fixation (15).
• Halo vest complications common: Complications of halo-body vest devices, in particular pin site infections, are common in children (27).

Outcome After Surgery

• Use of instrumentation reduces immobilization: Techniques of instrumentation are being used more often in children and reduce the need for prolonged external immobilization (32).
• Anterior and Posterior Approaches OK: Both anterior and posterior surgical approaches to the injured cervical spine have been shown to be safe and effective in children (13).