• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제52권6호
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• pp.570-573
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• 2012

Avulsion of spinous process, also called Clay-shoveler's fracture, is most prevalent among those engaged in hard physical labor. To the best of the author's knowledge, only one case of multiple spinous process fractures of the upper thoracic spine in a novice golfer has been reported. A 45-year-old female presented with intractable posterior neck pain. The patient experienced a sharp, sudden pain on the neck while swinging a golf club, immediately after the club head struck the ground. Dynamic cervical radiographic findings were C6 and C7 spinous process fractures. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed C6 and C7 spinous process fractures without spinal cord pathology. The patient was treated with pain medications and cervical bracing. The patient's pain gradually improved. The injury mechanism was speculated to be similar to Clay-shoveler's fracture. Lower cervical spinous process fractures can be associated with a golf swing. If the patient complains of long lasting neck pain and has a history of golf activity, further study should be conducted to rule out lower cervical spinous fracture.

• 대한정형외과스포츠의학회지
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• 제11권2호
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• pp.96-98
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• 2012

경추 또는 흉추의 극돌기에 단독으로 발생하는 골절을 Clay shoveler 골절이라 한다. 이 골절이 스포츠 활동 중에 발생하는 경우는 매우 드물다. 본 증례에서는 27세 남성으로 반복적인 골프 스윙으로 인하여 제 7경추 극돌기에 골절이 발생하였다. 환자는 진통제, 근육이완제 복용과 4주간의 토마스 칼라를 착용하였다. 통증은 호전되었고, 수상 후 5개월 째에 다시 골프를 시작하였다.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• 제35권6호
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• pp.163-166
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• 2023

A 30-year-old male novice golfer was diagnosed with a clay-shoveler's fracture. During golf practice, he experienced persistent posterior neck and upper back pain for a month. Cervical radiographs and computed tomography revealed a series of sequential spinous process fractures from C7 to T3. The patient was prescribed analgesic medication and fitted with a cervical brace alongside extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) directed explicitly toward the upper back region, subsequently leading to a notable reduction in pain. Therefore, ESWT could be considered an additional method for pain management in patients with clay-shoveler's fractures.

• Clinical Pain
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• 제19권2호
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• pp.138-141
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• 2020

Clay-shoveler's fractures are rare stress-type avulsion fractures of the spinous processes especially in sports. There have been two case reports that discussed clay-shoveler's fractures in golf. A 36-year-old beginner golfer presented with a pain in the back after practicing golf swing. No fractures were detected using cervical radiography; however, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed T2~T3 spinous process fractures. The patient was treated conservatively and his pain subsided. The mechanism of injury is speculated to that of clay-shoveler's fractures. Therefore, if a golfer suffers persistent pain in the cervicothoracic region, clay-shoveler's fracture is one possibility to consider.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• 제26권1호
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• pp.30-33
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• 2013

A 55-year-old woman was seen in the emergency department with posterior neck pain and a headache after a traffic accident. Physical examination revealed tenderness on palpation over the posterior skull and a midline spinous process of the cervical spine without neurologic deficit. A plain radiograph of the cervical spine demonstrated the absence of the lateral portion of the posterior arch of the atlas and very lucent shadowing of the anterior midline of the atlas, suggesting a fracture of the anterior arch. On three-dimensional computed tomography (CT) of the cervical spine, anterior and posterior bony defects of the atlas were noted. Well-corticated defects were noted with sclerotic change and with no evidence of soft tissue swelling adjacent to the bony discontinuities, consistent with a congenital abnormality. With conservative therapy, the patient gradually showed a lessening of the midline tenderness. Careful investigation with radiography or CT is needed for these patients to avoid confusion with a fracture, because these patients seldom need surgical treatment.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제64권4호
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• pp.575-584
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• 2021

Objective : Cervical expansive laminoplasty is an effective surgical method to address multilevel cervical spinal stenosis. During surgery, the spinous processes of C2 and C7 are usually preserved to keep the insertion points of the cervical musculature and nuchal ligament intact. In this regard, dome-like laminectomy (undercutting of C7 lamina) instead of laminoplasty is performed on C7 in selected cases. However, resection of the lamina can weaken the C7 lamina, and stress fractures may occur, but this complication has not been characterized in the literature. The objective of the present study was to investigate the incidence and risk factors for C7 laminar fracture after C7 dome-like laminectomy and its impact on clinical and radiological outcomes. Methods : Patients who underwent cervical open-door laminoplasty combined with C7 dome-like laminectomy (n=123) were classified according to the presence of C7 laminar fracture. Clinical parameters (neck/arm pain score and neck disability index) and radiologic parameters (C2-7 angle, C2-7 sagittal vertical axis, and C7-T1 angle) were compared between the groups preoperatively and at postoperatively at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months. Risk factors for complications were evaluated, and a formula estimating C7 fracture risk was suggested. Results : C7 lamina fracture occurred in 32/123 (26%) patients and occurred at the bilateral isthmus in 29 patients and at the spinolaminar junction in three patients. All fractures appeared on X-ray within 3 months postoperatively, but patients did not present any neurological deterioration. The fracture spontaneously healed in 27/32 (84%) patients at 1 year and in 29/32 (91%) at 2 years. During follow-up, clinical outcomes were not significantly different between the groups. However, patients with C7 fractures showed a more lordotic C2-7 angle and kyphotic C7-T1 angle than patients without C7 fractures. C7 fracture was significantly associated with the extent of bone removal. By incorporating significant factors, the probability of C7 laminar fracture could be assessed with the formula 'Risk score = 1.08 × depth (%) + 1.03 × length (%, of the posterior height of C7 vertebral body)', and a cut-off value of 167.9% demonstrated a sensitivity of 90.3% and a specificity of 65.1% (area under the curve, 0.81). Conclusion : C7 laminar fracture can occur after C7 dome-like laminectomy when a substantial amount of lamina is resected. Although C7 fractures may not cause deleterious clinical outcomes, they can lead to an unharmonized cervical curvature. The chance of C7 fracture should be discussed in the shared decision-making process.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• 제10권1호
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• pp.114-126
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• 1993

최근 6년간 영남대학교 의과대학병원에서 경추골절로 진단받은 100명의 환자를 대상으로 임상 및 수술소견과 방사선학적 소견을 조사하여 다음과 같은 결과를 얻었다. 1. 가장 흔히 침범되는 곳은 하부 경추중 $C_5$와 $C_6$, 상부경추중 $C_2$였다. 2. 가장 흔히 침범되는 부위는 몸체, 추궁판, 치상돌기의 순으로 나타났다. 3. 경추골절을 일으키는 손상의 기전으로는 과굴곡 손상에 의한 경우가 53%로 가장 많았고 부위별로는 과굴곡 손상때는 몸체, 골극돌기, 부횡돌기의 골절이 많았고 과신전 손상때는 상대적으로 추궁근의 골절이 많았다. 4. 과신전(1.68 fractures/patients)때보다는 과굴곡(2.26 fractures/patients) 때 좀더 심한 손상을 입는 것으로 나타났다. 5. 추궁판만의 단독골절은 드물었고 대부분이 다른 부위의 골절과 동반되어 나타났으며 이중 70%는 과굴곡 손상때 나타났다. 6. 몸체골절은 50% 이상에서 다른 부위의 골절을 동반하고 있었는데 이들 다른 부위의 골절 중에서는 추궁판골절이 가장 많았다. 7. 두개 이상의 여러 경추를 동시에 침범한 경우의 40%가 인접하지 않은 다른 부위의 골절을 보여 어떤 한 부위의 골절이 발견되었다 하더라도 반드시 전 경추에 대한 세심한 관찰로 또 다른 골절의 유무를 살펴야겠다. 8. 골전과 동반된 전위는 대부분 과굴곡 손상에서 나타났으며 약 70%가 전방전위를 보였으며 $C_{5-6}$과 $C_{6-7}$ 사이에 가장 많았다.

• 한국임상수의학회지
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• 제30권6호
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• pp.499-502
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• 2013

목 부위에 교상을 입은 8살의 중성화된 수컷 푸들이 내원하였다. 신체 검사에서, 보행이 불가능하였고 심부통증이 있는 사지의 불완전 마비로 UML 증상을 보였다. 방사선과 CT 검사에서 경추 1번의 횡돌기의 골절, 경추 2번의 가시돌기의 골절이 관찰 되었다. 보존적 처지를 1주일 실시 하였으나 증상이 완화 되지 않아 수술적 교정이 선택되었다. 수술적 안정은, 배쪽으로 접근하여 나사, K-wires 와 bone cement를 이용하여 내원 7일차에 실시 되었다. 수술 후 4주 이후 혼자 설 수 있었으며, 6주 이후 보행이 가능하였다. 본 증례에서는 등쪽과 배쪽 부위 중쇠뼈 골절을 교정하기 위하여 배쪽 복합 고정을 실시하였으며, 좋은 예후를 보였다.

• 한국임상수의학회지
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• 제26권5호
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• pp.490-494
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• 2009

A 2-year-old Maltese and a 5-month-old Yorkshire terrier were presented with ataxia. Tetraparesis was observed in a 9-year -old Yorkshire terrier. The localizations of the lesions suggested brain or cervical spinal cord by the neurological examination, and the following images was achieved: radiography, axial images of computed tomography (CT), reconstruction image of CT such as multi-planar reformation(MPR) and 3-dimensional(3D) reconstruction and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). On radiography, the misalignment between atlas (C1) and axis (C2), absent dens of axis, and increased space between the dorsal arch of C1 and spinous process of C2 were found. The discontinuation between dens and body of C2 was identified through axial CT images, and the fragmentation of dens separated from axis was observed through MPR and 3D image in all case. The hyperintense lesions and the spinal cord compression on T2-weighted MR images were represented in a dog with tetraparesis, the others represented only spinal cord compression. Three dogs were diagnosed as atlantoaxial instability (AAI) by dens fracture of C2. The dog with tetraparesis was euthanized due to guarded prognosis. The others were recovered completely. It is difficult to differentiate dens fracture of C2 from abnormal dens such as agenesis and hypoplasia. We thought that CT is very useful to evaluate the dens of C2 and differentiate the causes of AAI, and the reconstruction images of CT such as MPR and 3D make the translation of the fragmented dens or axis of AAI more precisely evaluate.