A cervical fracture, commonly called a broken neck, is a fracture of any of the seven cervical vertebrae in the neck. Examples of common causes in humans are traffic collisions and diving into shallow water. Abnormal movement of neck bones or pieces of bone can cause a spinal cord injury resulting in loss of sensation, paralysis, or usually instant death. Causes
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 CS-fx increased significantly with age.Sports that involve violent physical contact carry a risk of cervical fracture, including American football, association football (especially the goalkeeper), ice hockey, rugby, and wrestling. 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, 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.
: 1 : 361 : 1 : 102 Diffuse TGCT occurs less frequently and is locally aggressive (in some cases, tumors may infiltrate surrounding soft tissue). : 245 : 1 : 102 : 1  It most commonly affects people under 40 years old, though the age of occurrence varies. : 102  Diffuse TGCT may occur inside a joint (intra-articular) or outside of a joint (extra-articular). Intra-articular tumors typically occur in the knee (approximately 75% of cases) and hip (approximately 15% of cases). : 102  Extra-articular tumors are usually found in the knee, thigh, and foot. : 101  Symptoms include swelling, pain, sensitivity, and/or limited range of motion. : 102  The rate of reoccurrence is estimated to be 18-46% for intra-articular tumors and 33-50% for extra-articular tumors. : 103 : 1

Complications
Diffuse TGCT is locally aggressive and can spread to surrounding tissues, causing bone erosion and tissue damage. If not treated early, it can spread to areas outside the joint, extra-articular, and potentially cause permanent loss of range as well as intense pain. Mechanism
TGCT tumors grow due to genetic overexpression of colony stimulating factor 1. This causes colony-stimulating factor-1 receptor (CSF1R) cells to accumulate in the joint tissue. Diagnosis
TGCT can be diagnosed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), by biopsy, or during surgery. The disorder is difficult to identify and is often not diagnosed for years due to nonspecific symptoms or a general paucity of symptoms. TGCT cases are often misdiagnosed as osteoarthritis, localized trauma, sports injuries, xanthomas, or other conditions. One study of 122 diffuse TGCT patients found that the average delay in diagnosis was 2.9 years.