The Type lll Dens Fracture and Its Associated Soft-Tissue Injuries: A Different Form of Hangman’s Fracture

This article describes the Hangman’s fracture, which is a traumatic spondylolysis of the 2nd cervical vertebrae occurring after road traffic accidents & hangings. A case history of an attempted self-hanging which caused a different type of fracture associated with soft-tissue injuries- a type III dens fracture- is described. A detailed description of the injury & of a typical Hangman’s fracture is provided. (VM)