We reviewed the records of 143 patients, two months to fifteen years
old, who were seen at the Mayo Clinic between 1950 and 1991 because of an
injury to the cervical spine. There was a clear demarcation between the
characteristics of the injury of two age-groups. Children who were less
than eleven years old had fewer injuries as a group, were most often
injured in falls, tended to have a predominance of ligamentous injuries of
the cephalic portion of the cervical spine, and had a high rate of
mortality as a consequence of injury to the spinal cord. Children who were
eleven through fifteen years old had more injuries as a group, were most
often injured during sports and recreational activities, had a higher
male-to-female ratio, were more frequently injured in the caudal portion of
the cervical spine, and had a pattern of injury similar to that of adults.
The age and sex-adjusted incidence was 7.41 per 100,000 population per
year.