Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine
Volume 15, Issue 7 , Pages 457-461 , October 2008

Acute death due to hyperextension injury of the cervical spine caused by falling and slipping onto the face

Received 10 December 2007 ,Accepted 15 February 2008.

References 

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  3. Turk EE, Tsokos M. Pathologic features of fatal falls from height. Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 2004;25:194–199
  4. Crawford PM, Shepherd DI. Hyperextension injuries to the cervical cord in the elderly. BMJ. 1989;299:669–670
  5. Schneider RC, Cherry G, Pantek H. The syndrome of acute central cervical spinal cord injury; with special reference to the mechanisms involved in hyperextension injuries of cervical spine. J Neurosurg. 1954;11:546–577
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  11. Hayes KC, Kakulas BA. Neuropathology of human spinal cord injury sustained in sports-related activities. J Neurotraum. 1997;14:235–248
  12. Gupta SM, Chandra J, Dogra TD. Blunt force lesions related to the heights of a fall. Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 1982;3:35–43
  13. Li G, Baker SP, Smialek JE, Soderstrom CA. Use of alcohol as a risk factor for bicycling injury. JAMA. 2001;285:893–896
  14. Bohlman HH. Acute fractures and dislocations of the cervical spine. An analysis of three hundred hospitalized patients and review of the literature. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1979;61:1119–1142
  15. Hayes KC, Askes HK, Kakulas BA. Retropulsion of intervertebral discs associated with traumatic hyperextension of the cervical spine and absence of vertebral fracture: an uncommon mechanism of spinal cord injury. Spinal Cord. 2002;40:544–547
  16. Panjabi MM, Grauer JN, Cholewicki J, et al. Whiplash trauma injury mechanism: a biomechanical viewpoint. In:  Gunzburg R,  Szpalski M editor. Whiplash injuries. Philadelphia: Lippincott-Raven; 1998;p. 79–87

PII: S1752-928X(08)00041-3

doi: 10.1016/j.jflm.2008.02.006

Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine
Volume 15, Issue 7 , Pages 457-461 , October 2008

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