Erschienen in:
Open Access
05.11.2020 | Images in Forensics
Classic but unexpected: a case of Jefferson fracture
verfasst von:
Jean-Loup Gassend, Mohamed Yassine Braham, Raquel Vilarino, Virginie Magnin
Erschienen in:
Forensic Science, Medicine and Pathology
|
Ausgabe 2/2021
Abstract
A man was found lying dead next to a ladder, with only a laceration surrounded by an abrasion visible upon external examination. No skull fractures were palpable. A CT scan and MRI showed a Jefferson fracture of the atlas, associated to a posterior displacement of the skull, a fracture of the dens of the axis, and fractures of the bodies of C5 and C6. Jefferson fractures typically result from a blow to the apex of the skull. In such cases, forensic pathologists should suspect the existence of a Jefferson fracture, particularly when no severe injuries are visible externally.