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J Neurol Surg A Cent Eur Neurosurg
DOI: 10.1055/a-2013-3278
Original Article

Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury in Children: Clinical Profile and Management Outcome in a Developing Country's Rural Neurosurgery Practice

Toyin Ayofe Oyemolade
1   Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Federal Medical Center, Owo, Ondo State, Nigeria
,
Amos Olufemi Adeleye
2   Department of Neurological Surgery, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria
3   Division of Neurological Surgery, Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria
,
Inwonoabasi Nicholas Ekanem
4   Department of Accident and Emergency, Federal Medical Center, Owo, Ondo State, Nigeria
,
Adeyemi Damilola Ogunoye
5   Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Federal Medical Center, Owo, Ondo State, Nigeria
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Abstract

Background There is paucity of data-driven study on pediatric traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) in the developing countries. This study aims to define the clinical profile of pediatric traumatic SCI in a rural tertiary hospital in a sub-Saharan African country.

Methods This was a prospective observational study of all children with spinal cord injury managed at our center over a 42-month period.

Results There were 20 patients, comprising 13 males and 7 females with a mean age of 11.5 years. Road traffic crash was the cause in 70% of the cases (motorcycle accident = 45%), and fall from height in 25%. Pedestrians were the victims of the road traffic crash in 42.9% (6/14) of the cases, while 21.4% (3/14) and 28.6% (4/14) were passengers on motorcycles and in motor vehicles, respectively. The cervical spine was the most common location of injury, occurring in 90% of the cases (18/20). Seventy-five percent of the patients (15/20) had transient deficits, but were grossly normal neurologically on examination (American Spinal Cord Injury Association [ASIA] grade E); 2 patients had ASIA D, while 1 patient each had ASIA C, B, and A injuries. All patients were managed nonoperatively. The patients with incomplete deficits improved, while those with complete injury did not make any motor or sensory gain.

Conclusion Road traffic accident, mostly motorcycle crash, was the most common etiology of pediatric SCI in this series, and most of the injuries were located in the cervical spine. Disabling injury constituted a small proportion of pediatric SCI in our practice.

Keywords

traumatic spinal cord injury - pediatric - developing country - rural neurosurgery

Ethical Approval Statement

Ethical approval is not required for this study in accordance with the Federal Medical Centre Owo.


Consent to Participate Statement

Written informed consent was obtained from the parents of all the patients whose photographs or images were included in this manuscript/who had Gardner-Wells tongs insertion in our study group.




Publication History

Received: 06 September 2022

Accepted: 09 January 2023

Accepted Manuscript online:
14 January 2023

Article published online:
02 August 2023

© 2023. Thieme. All rights reserved.

Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Rüdigerstraße 14, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany

 

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