C • DISLOCATIONS OF THE VERTEBRAL COLUMN
103
3.
8. 60. 3.
9. 60.
13.
I.
61.
21.
8. 61.
FIG. 50.
water, trampoline, rugby and vaulting sports. The mechanism of the fracture-dislocation
may be produced either by retroflexion of head and cervical spine (usually but inaccur
ately called hyperextension fractures) or ventroflexion of head and neck (ventro-hyper-
flexion fractures). These injuries may produce most bizarre deformities of the cervical
spine due to a combination of various factors.
Fig. 51 is an example of a profound ventro- or antero-hyperflexion injury. The first
three upper cervical vertebrae are hyperflexed forward over the fractured 4th cervical,
which is split into two pieces by the impact of the sharp anterior inferior edge of
C$
vertebra which itself was deformed by the impact of violence. Two-thirds of the body of
C4 vertebra are displaced backwards into the spinal canal while one-third is avulsed and
2.11.62,
2 11.62
FIG. 51.
