Fractures of the dorsal and lumbar spine.

A study of 60 children with thoracic and lumbar spine injuries indicates that the child's response to trauma is unique. It is concluded that the potential for growth and development and the presence of healthy tissues separate these injuries from comparable injuries in adults. The epiphyseal growth partly or completely restores vertebral body height, leads to a mild spinal deformity in stable injuries, and can contribute to rapidly progressive spinal deformity in unstable injuries with or without paralysis. Healthy intervertebral discs account for the multiple compression fractures and lack of long term degenerative changes of the spine. On the basis of this review, a practical approach to patient care is presented.