An 18-year-old worker in India suffered a fatal spinal injury when “a large, heavy metallic pipe or beam unexpectedly fell from above and struck the frontal region of his head,” according to the Journal of Orthopaedic Case Reports. He lost consciousness immediately, went into shock, and despite rapid intubation, ventilation, and cervical stabilization, died two days later.

CT scans revealed a “retropulsion of the C5 vertebral body into the spinal canal” along with a secondary C6 fracture. The injury resembled a “nutcracker-like compression” where the vertebra was crushed and pushed backward, but unlike common patterns, there was no displacement of facet joints or pedicle fractures.

Doctors noted this was the first recorded case of such an injury, which “did not align with any predefined category” in standard systems like Allen & Ferguson or AO Spine. This highlighted gaps in current classification methods.

Clinically, retropulsion into the spinal canal can cause rapid paralysis and respiratory failure. Even with traction and ventilatory support, the damage here was too severe for surgery.

The report stressed prevention: always wear helmets, secure overhead materials, and avoid working beneath suspended loads. “A single heavy object falling on the head… can cause devastating spinal injury and death within hours.”