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
