Jefferson fracture
Jefferson Fracture
A Jefferson fracture is a bone fracture that involves the anterior and posterior arches of the C1 vertebra, also known as the Atlas. The term is named after British neurologist Sir Geoffrey Jefferson, who first described it in 1920.
Pronunciation
The term is pronounced as /ˈdʒɛfərsən ˈfræktʃər/.
Etymology
The term "Jefferson fracture" is named after Sir Geoffrey Jefferson (1886–1961), a British neurologist and neurosurgeon who first described the fracture in 1920.
Description
A Jefferson fracture is a complex bone fracture that typically occurs as a result of axial load on the head, such as a diving accident. This fracture is characterized by a burst fracture of the C1 vertebra, leading to a lateral displacement of the lateral masses of C1 on C2. This fracture is unstable and can cause serious complications, including spinal cord injury and death.
Related Terms
- Atlas: The first cervical vertebra (C1), which is fractured in a Jefferson fracture.
- Burst fracture: A type of traumatic spinal injury in which a vertebra breaks from a high-energy axial load.
- Cervical vertebrae: The seven vertebrae that form the upper part of the spine, located in the neck region.
- Spinal cord injury: Damage to any part of the spinal cord or nerves at the end of the spinal canal.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Jefferson fracture
- Wikipedia's article - Jefferson fracture
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski