Outcome of Therapies for Thoracolumbar Spine Trauma in Children

• Long-term outcome: The patient’s neurologic condition at presentation generally corresponds with long-term outcome.
• Neurologic function: Recovery of neurologic function after severe spinal cord injury occurs with a significantly greater incidence in children than adults (38).
• Complete spinal cord injuries: Complete spinal cord injuries are associated with poorer outcomes (12,24).
• Incomplete spinal cord injuries: Return to baseline function has been seen in 27–75% in patients with incomplete spinal cord injury (12,14).

Outcome after surgery

• Fusion: Stable fixation and solid bony fusion occur in most patients undergoing surgery for thoracolumbar trauma.(12)
• Neurologic function: The patient’s neurologic condition after surgery generally corresponds with the severity of neurologic injury at presentation, as discussed above.