Cite

Copy

Tap on and choose 'Add to Home Screen' to create a shortcut app

Tap on and choose 'Install/Install App' to create a shortcut app

Management of Thoracolumbar Spine Trauma in Children

This page was last updated on May 8th, 2019

Initial Management at Presentation

  • Considerations for treatment: Treatment plans must consider the stability of the injury, the need for decompression, and the long-term potential for healing.
  • TLICS scoring: The Thoracolumbar Injury Classification and Severity Score is recommended to be used for guidance regarding stability and the need for surgical intervention (including fracture morphology, neurologic involvement, and posterior ligamentous complex integrity). This has been validated in the pediatric population (10,32,35,36).
  • Need for surgery: Overall, between 4 and 30% of pediatric spine injuries require operative treatment (31,33).

Adjunctive Therapies

  • Mobilization and physical therapy: After surgical repair and stabilization, the patients is mobilized with increasing activity.

Follow-up

  • Follow for 2 years if surgery required: Specific postoperative follow-up schedules vary. However, office visits with x-ray imaging generally occurs at 2–3 months, 4–6 months, 1 year, and 2 years after surgery.
  • Other imaging:  If there is concern for complications, such as change in neurologic symptoms, infection, loosening of hardware, etc., other imaging modalities, such as CAT scan or MRI should be considered.

Your donations keep us going

The ISPN Guide is free to use, but we rely on donations to fund our ongoing work and to maintain more than a thousand pages of information created to disseminate the most up-to-date knowledge in the field of paediatric neurosurgery.

By making a donation to The ISPN Guide you are also indirectly helping the many thousands of children around the world whose treatment depends on well-informed surgeons.

Please consider making a donation today.

Use the app

The ISPN Guide can be used as a standalone app, both on mobile devices and desktop computers. It’s quick and easy to use.

Fully featured

Free registration grants you full access to The Guide and host of featured designed to help further your own education.

Stay updated

The ISPN Guide continues to expand both in breadth and depth. Join our mailing list to stay up-to-date with our progress.