Sciwora in children. A rare clinical entity. Ambispective study.

INTRODUCTION: SCIWORA has a low incidence but a high functional repercussion. The aim of the present study was to characterize the epidemiology of this clinical-radiological condition and evaluate functional outcome with a mean of ten-years follow-up.

MATERIAL AND METHODS:  Observational, longitudinal ambispective cohort study. 13 SCIWORA patients were admitted in the study period. Demographics, mechanism of injury, spinal cord MRI findings, neurological level of injury, time to SCI, neurological status (AIS) at admission/discharge/5years, spinal cord independence measure (SCIMIII) scale at admission and discharge, hospital length of stay and mean follow-up were recorded. On October 2022 patients were re-evaluated using NDI, Oswestry, SV-QLI/SCI.

RESULTS: Median age was 4 years. The study population for this investigation was mostly men (77%). 54% of level of injury correspond to cervical spine. AIS at admission was A (31%) and C (31%). Neurological level of injury was C2 (22%) and T10(15%). Motor vehicle-related injury was the most prevalent mechanism of injury (77%), SCIMIII scale at admission and discharge: 28,5/42, hospital length of stay was 115 days. The NDI was 11,6, Oswestry:15,3 and SV-QLI/SCI:17.

CONCLUSIONS:  77% of SCIWORA patients was detected under 8 years-old. At 1 year follow-up after discharge 31% patients were AIS grade D and with 5 years follow-up the percentage remain constant. No statistically significant differences in the mechanism of injury and MRI findings (p:0,872), age and MRI spinal cord findings (p:0,149) were found in SCIWORA patients.