Development of the spine in cases of traumatic spinal cord injury in children and adolescents

In the 1970s, there was growing concern about the risk of secondary deformations of the spine as these seemed to endanger the otherwise improving prognosis for the life of paraplegic subjects, especially of paralyzed children and adolescents. According to the literature, the level and extent of the spinal cord injury and the age at the time of injury are determinants of the development of scoliosis, hyperlordosis or global kyphosis. Correction of the deformity by brace orthosis is not indicated except for children. The indications for surgical intervention in terms of the extent of the scoliosis and technical performance corresponds to the well known situation for idiopathic scoliosis except for the length of fusion. A special form of scoliosis, the so called "collapsing spine", allows good surgical correction because it is usually not rigid. Early, substantial degenerative processes such as segmental intervertebral instability at the level of the paraplegia, as well as distinct uncarthrosis proximally distant from the innervated zones with secondary radicular damage, are observed. By means of modern surgical procedures, the appearance of the patient's body, as well as the quality of life, can be favorably influenced.