Hangman's Fractures

Excerpt

Hangman’s fracture is the spondylolisthesis at the C2-3 level following bilateral fractures of the pars interarticularis of the axis. Traumatic spondylolisthesis of the axis, though first described in 1866, the term “Hangman's fracture” was coined in 1965. It is the second most common fracture type involving C2 vertebrae after odontoid fractures and represents approximately 4-20% of all cervical fractures.Steele’s rule of thirds states that the cross-sectional area at the atlas level may be divided into three equally represented parts: the dens, space, and the spinal cord. This increased area for the spinal cord at this level allows for the relative lack of neurologic injury associated with a hangman’s fracture.