Operative management of traumatic cervical spine distraction and complete cord transection in a 3-year-old patient

Abstract

This report describes the presentation and operative treatment of a 3-year-old boy who survived a motor vehicle accident that resulted in a C6–7 distraction injury, complete avulsion of the spinal cord, and gross spinal instability. Only 5%–10% of all spinal cord and vertebral column injuries occur in children. Survival after such an injury is exceptionally rare in very young patients and is associated with severe neurological deficits. The authors discuss the substantial ethical challenges involved in the care of a patient with this injury. To their knowledge, only two other cases of survival have been reported in pediatric patients following motor vehicle trauma resulting in complete injury to the lower cervical spinal cord.