An experience I had this weekend was a teenager came in after playing a sport whom was unresponsive and after the ct was complete we noticed he had a 50 % anterior subluxation hangmans fracture. The boy will be paralyzed from the neck down now.
A hangman's fracture consists of bilateral pedicle or pars fractures involving the C2 vertebral body. C2's vertebral body being fractured and anteriorly subluaxtion or dislocation is normally associated with this as well. This is caused from a severe extension of the neck or spine. This kind of fracture normally blocks the airway and compresses the spinal cord.
Here is an image of a hangmans fracture on a ct sagittal view. The image and some information was found on : http://www.universespine.com/
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