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.
Keywords: Hangman's fracture; Skydiving; Spine surgery; Spine trauma.
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