TY - JOUR PY - 2022// TI - Characteristics of pediatric spinal cord injury in South Korea: a single-centered study JO - Annals of rehabilitation medicine A1 - Kim, Wooyeung A1 - Lee, Bum-Suk A1 - Kim, Onyoo A1 - Yun, Hyeyeung A1 - Han, So-Ra SP - 248 EP - 255 VL - 46 IS - 5 N2 - OBJECTIVE: To determine the characteristics of pediatric spinal cord injury (SCI) in South Korea from 1990 to 2019.

METHODS: This single-centered retrospective study included pediatric SCIs. Individuals were divided into the following five groups according to onset age: ≤5, 6-12, 13-14, 15-17, and 18-19 years. The severity of complete injury was graded according to the American Spinal Injury Association impairment scale A (AIS A). Incomplete injury was graded according to AIS B, C, and D. Pearson chi-square test was used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS: Of the 267 individuals included, 216 (80.9%) had traumatic SCIs (male-to-female ratio of 3.2:1), and 51 (19.1%) had non-traumatic SCIs (male-to-female ratio of 0.7:1). In the traumatic SCI group, 192 (88.9%) individuals were ≥15 years at the time of injury (males, 78.6%). The most common etiologies of traumatic SCIs, ranging from most to least common, were accidents related to motorcycles, falls, cars, and diving. In the non-traumatic SCI group, inflammatory (33.3%) and neoplastic (25.5%) etiologies were found to be the most common ones.

CONCLUSION: We found that traumatic SCIs incidence in the pediatric population was high, particularly in male individuals aged 15-19 years. The non-traumatic SCIs mostly cause paraplegia and incomplete injury. Therefore, it can be used as a basic data for the evaluation, treatment and prevention strategy of pediatric patients with SCI.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 2234-0645 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.5535/arm.22062 ID - ref1 ER -