Evaluation of Back Pain in Children

Low back pain in children should constitute an entity which has to be frequently focused on by the orthopaedic and spinal surgeon. The diagnosis represents a challenging problem since it can be originated by multiple factors: (a) mechanical, (b) developmental, (c) inflammatory, (d) neoplastic, and (e) psychosomatic. A meticulous tracking for pain history and physical examination as well as an appropriate analysis of laboratory and imaging exams are critical to reach a definitive diagnosis. The patient’s age also plays an important role since some of them have a high incidence as an etiologic cause: in children less than 10 years of age, the inflammatory factor, especially represented by the Spondylodiscitis and Osteomyelitis and in children more than 10 years of age and adolescents, the developmental factor such as Scheuermann’s disease and Spondylolysis or Spondylolisthesis are frequently seen. But benign and malignant primary or metastatic tumors of the osseous spine can occur at any age, with it being a critical issue to take into consideration in their diagnosis and further treatment.