Fractures of the Sacrum in Children
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer. When children grow from babies to adults, their bodies undergo a significant amount of change. During this time, bones grow longer, muscle mass is added, and organs go through various stages of growth and development. Because of the changes in a child’s skeletal structure, the distribution of weight across the bones is different in children and adults. This means that certain injuries are more likely to occur in children than in adults, and vice versa. Some of the statistics on bone fractures in children published in the Journal of American Bone and Joint Surgery include:
- About one-third of all childhood bone fractures are attributable to some kind of physical activity.
- About 180 per 10,000 children is going to sustain a bone fracture on an annual basis.
- The distal radius is the most commonly fractured bone in children.
- Snowboarding was the most likely sport to lead to a bone fracture, based on hours of exposure.
- Most children make a full recovery following a bone fracture.
Even though most children will recover from their injuries, some are more serious than others. Regardless of the age of the individual, a fracture of the spine can be serious. Because children’s bodies are distributed differently, they are prone to suffering a fracture of the lumbar spine, which is unusual among adults.
The Regions of the Spinal Cord: Distributions in Children
The spinal cord is broken up into different regions depending on the characteristics of the vertebrae. The upper part of the cord is called the cervical spine. This connects the base of the skull to the rest of the vertebrae. Cervical fractures are more common in younger children. Because the cervical region is high up on the body, fractures in this area can be devastating. Fractures at C1 or C2 can even lead to death. The thoracic region is next on the cord, followed by the lumbar region. The lumbar region is the lower part of the spine and is more commonly injured in older children. Recently, a research study explored four different cases of children who sustained fractures in this region of their spine.
Case Reports: Lumbar and Sacral Fractures in Children
A team of medical professionals published four different cases of lumbar and sacral fractures that children had sustained. One of the children sustained this fracture while playing sports. Two of the kids were injured in motor vehicle accidents. The fourth was from a mostly unknown mechanism but believed to have been a physical assault. The researchers demonstrate that the children were more prone to sustaining these injuries because of their youth and the distribution of stress across their bodies. The results of these fractures actually led to other associated injuries, such as trauma to their abdominal organs and nerve damage associated with the injuries. While these children did not require surgery, they did have a lengthy recovery that required numerous doctors’ visits and an extended time with physical therapy as they recovered from their injuries. Ultimately, the children made a full recovery. However, it took one of the children over a year to reach his baseline.
A Lawyer can be Helpful
Spinal cord injuries are serious and these children were lucky that they did not have chronic problems related to their accidents. For those who do have chronic medical problems, this can prevent them from going to school, working, or even performing chores around the house. This can be an expensive financial burden and ruin someone’s quality of life. When these issues arise, meeting with a personal injury lawyer in Sacramento can be helpful. An experienced attorney can help a family work through these issues and place them in a position to be successful.
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I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer. If your child has suffered an injury to any region of his or her spinal cord, please contact me today at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 for free, friendly legal advice.
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