Spinal cord concussion in pediatric athletes.

Abstract

Children with a narrowed canal secondary to spinal stenosis or congenital malformation may be predisposed to spinal cord concussion when the canal is further narrowed in hyperflexion or hyperextension. Review of the medical records of the Winnipeg and Ottawa Children's Hospitals disclosed 12 children who had been treated for transient sensory or motor loss after a spinal injury. Measurements of the spinal canal were compared with standard normal measurements, and the spinal canal width was expressed as a percentage of the vertebral width (the Torg ratio). This study shows that narrowing of the spinal canal is an inconsistent predisposing factor to spinal cord concussion in children. A poor correlation between the Torg ratio and comparison with a series of normal control canal widths was noted.