title: Unique mechanism of chance fracture in a young adult male.
abstract: Since the first description of the Chance fracture in 1948, there have been few case reports of unique mechanisms causing this classical flexion-extension injury to the spine in motor vehicle accidents, sports injury, and falls. To our knowledge, this injury has not been reported from a fall with the mechanistic forces acting laterally on the spine and with spinal support in place. We present a 21-year-old male who slid down a flight of stairs onto his side wearing a heavy mountaineering style backpack, subsequently sustaining a Chance fracture of his first lumbar vertebrae.
authors.affiliation: Madigan Army Medical Center, Department of Emergency Medicine, Tacoma, Washington.
authors.forename: Aaron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Birch
authors.forename: Ryan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Devita