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Hangman's Fracture Caused by Parachute Opening Deceleration Captured on Video
Franziska Loebel1, Lucius Fekonja1, Peter Vajkoczy1
1Department of Neurosurgery Charité University Hospital, Berlin, Germany.
Background:
Nonlethal cervical spine injuries in skydiving are rare due to the associated high mortality. Here, we report an unusual pathomechanism leading to a Hangman fracture in a semiprofessional parachute athlete.
Case Description:
The moment of injury was captured on a first-person video and identified as a rough parachute opening deceleration during canopy deployment, caused by failure of the parachute inflation control device. Fractures of the C2 pars interarticularis with C2/C3 instability were treated by anterior cervical diskectomy and fusion, and the patient reached full recovery.
Conclusions:
Excessive deceleration during canopy deployment may pose a risk for life-threatening cervical spine injuries in skydiving.