Spinal injuries in a child where maltreatment should be suspected
- physical abuse should be suspected if a child presents with signs of a spinal injury (injury to vertebrae or within the spinal canal) in the absence of major confirmed accidental trauma. Spinal injury may present as:
- a finding on skeletal survey or magnetic resonance imaging
- cervical injury in association with inflicted head injury
- thoracolumbar injury in association with focal neurology or unexplained kyphosis (curvature or deformity of the spine)
- for the purposes of this guideline, NICE state that to suspect child maltreatment means a serious level of concern about the possibility of child maltreatment but is not proof of it
Reference:
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