Editing Cervical fracture (section)

==Causes==
[[File:Karl Morgenschweis prays for condemned prisoner.jpg|thumb|Execution by hanging is intended to cause death from a cervical fracture.]]
Considerable force is needed to cause a cervical fracture. Vehicle collisions and falls are common causes.  A severe, sudden twist to the neck or a severe blow to the head or neck area can cause a cervical fracture.

Although high energy trauma is often associated with cervical fractures in the younger population, low energy trauma is more common in the geriatric population. In a study from Norway the most common cause was falls and the relative incidence of cervical spine fracture increased significantly with age.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Fredø HL, Rizvi SA, Lied B, Rønning P, Helseth E | title = The epidemiology of traumatic cervical spine fractures: a prospective population study from Norway | journal = Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine | volume = 20 | issue = 1 | pages = 85 | date = December 2012 | pmid = 23259662 | pmc = 3546896 | doi = 10.1186/1757-7241-20-85 | doi-access = free }}</ref>

Sports that involve violent physical contact carry a risk of cervical fracture, including [[American football]], [[association football]] (especially the [[Goalkeeper (association football)|goalkeeper]]), [[ice hockey]], [[Rugby football|rugby]], and [[wrestling]]. [[Spearing (gridiron football)|Spearing]] an opponent in football or rugby, for instance, can cause a broken neck. Cervical fractures may also be seen in some non-contact sports, such as [[gymnastics]], [[skiing]], [[Diving (sport)|diving]], [[surfing]], [[powerlifting]], [[equestrianism]], [[mountain biking]], and motor racing.

Certain penetrating neck injuries can also cause cervical fracture which can also cause internal bleeding among other complications.

Execution by [[hanging]] is intended to cause a fatal cervical fracture. The [[Hangman's knot|knot]] in the noose is placed to the left of the condemned, so that at the end of the drop, the head is jolted sharply upwards and to the right. The force breaks the neck, causing an immediate loss of consciousness and death within a few minutes.