Clay-shoveler fracture
Updates to Article Attributes
Clay-shoveler fractures are fractures of the spinous process of a lower cervical vertebra.
Clinical presentation
Often these injuries are unrecognised at the time and only found incidentally years later when the cervical spine is imaged for other reasons.
Acutely they tend to be associated with 1:
- motor vehicle accidents
- sudden muscle contraction
- direct blows to the spine
Radiographic features
The fracture is seen on lateral radiographs as an oblique lucency through the spinous process, usually of C7. There is usually significant displacement.
History and etymology
Originally described in Australia, inamong (no prizes for guessing) clay shovelers. Why clay rather than dirt or sand? The reason is due to the stickiness of clay. As clay shovelers tossedlift the shovel upwardupwards to toss the clay from deep ditches, the clay sometimes stucktends to it which produced astick to the shovel. This results in sudden flexion forceforces on the neck and back muscles, resulting in leading to the avulsion fracture.
-</ul><h4>Radiographic features</h4><p>The fracture is seen on lateral radiographs as an oblique lucency through the spinous process, usually of C7. There is usually significant displacement.</p><h4>History and etymology</h4><p>Originally described in Australia, in (no prizes for guessing) clay shovelers. Why clay rather than dirt or sand? The reason is due to the stickiness of clay. As clay shovelers tossed the shovel upward, the clay sometimes stuck to it which produced a sudden flexion force on the neck and back muscles, resulting in the fracture.</p>- +</ul><h4>Radiographic features</h4><p>The fracture is seen on lateral radiographs as an oblique lucency through the spinous process, usually of C7. There is usually significant displacement.</p><h4>History and etymology</h4><p>Originally described in Australia, among (no prizes for guessing) clay shovelers. Why clay rather than dirt or sand? The reason is due to the stickiness of clay. As clay shovelers lift the shovel upwards to toss the clay from deep ditches, the clay tends to stick to the shovel. This results in sudden forces on the neck and back muscles leading to the avulsion fracture.</p>
References changed:
- 4. McKellar Hall RD. Clay-Shoveler's Fracture. (1940). The Journal of bone and joint surgery. American volume. 22: 36–75.
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