Abstract
Cervical fracture is a rare presentation in suicidal hanging but a common finding in judicial hanging where the person is dropped from a calculated height, resulting in fracture dislocation at the level of 2nd-3rd or 3rd-4th cervical vertebrae. In case of long drop hanging cervical fracture with or without dislocation is commonly found; possibly due toa greater tractional force due to longer height of suspension. We describe acase of an average built male weighing 72 kg who hanged himself by jumping off a roof top, with a drop length of 4.14m. On autopsy in addition to common findings of a hanging case, complete transection ofspinal cord and fracture dislocation of cervical vertebrae C2-C3 were found along with hematoma. In this case of long drop hanging, there was fracture of cervical spine with ligature knot being placed at sub-occipital position which is a rare autopsy finding.
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