Differences in c-spine injuries and clearance in adults and children
| Adults | Children | |
|---|---|---|
| SCIWORA, spinal cord injury without radiological abnormality. | ||
| Epidemiology: c-spine injury | Uncommon | Rare |
| Mechanism of injury | RTA -occupants | RTA -pedestrian |
| -motorcyclists | -occupants | |
| Sports/recreational injuries | Sports/playground injuries | |
| Penetrating trauma, for example, firearms | Falls from height | |
| Immobilisation | Usually easy | Often difficult |
| Clinical assessment | Usually simple | Difficult if young |
| Radiology | Familiar and understood. | Many normal variants. |
| Interpretation easier. | Ossification changes with age. | |
| Interpretation often difficult. | ||
| SCIWORA | Rare | More common |