ETIOLOGIC AND FUNCTIONAL-EVALUATION OF THE PEDIATRIC POPULATION WITH SPINAL-CORD INJURIES

Spinal cord lesions are the result of many etiological factors and are associated with motor, sensorial and autonomic dysfunctions. The subj ects evaluated were a total of 217 paraplegics and quadriplegics who h ad been enrolled in a rehabilitation program during the last five year s conducted by the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation of the Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine. Forty-three of these patients were in the pediatric age group. In this clinical trial, the patients with spinal cord injuries were examined according to their ag e, sex, etiological factors and functional status. Frankel's scale was used for functional assessment. The mean age of patients was 9.19 +/- 4.19 years and varied between 1-16 years. The results of our classifi cation according to etiological factors were as follows: Nineteen pati ents with tumors (44.1%), nine patients with infections (20.93%), five patients with congenital abnormalities (11.63%), five patients with v ascular lesions (11.63%), four patients with trauma (9.30%), and one p atient with a degenerative central nervous system disorder (2.32%). Th e effect of the rehabilitation program on the functional status of the patients is discussed.