Thoracolumbar Spine Injuries in Children and Adolescents

Thoracolumbar spine injuries are the most common spine injuries in the skeletally immature, but only represent 1%-2% of all fractures or injuries in this patient population. These injuries range in severity but the severe ones may have devastating, lifelong consequences. This article will summarize a common sense way of evaluation and treatment of them. The premise is to stress principles and a methodical approach to analyze these injuries and then to apply a practical, effective, and efficient treatment modalities to manage them. There has been no attempt to address each and every possible injury type. Rather, the goal here was to provide a more general framework through which a physician managing such injuries can maneuver.