Is it possible to break your jaw and neck at the same time?

Ricochet J

Ricochet J

Ricochet J

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My mate says you can break either at different times but if you break both together you'll die. I say no you won't, but you'll have a high chance of dieing.
Anyone comment on this please? Any got any experience? :p
 
It depends on whether breaking the neck is displacement or dislocation of the vertebrae (in which case you will trap or fatally sever the spinal cord) or a fracture / breakage of a vertebrae which will be holy painful but fixable.

The jaw is an independent bone and the break will usually be along the suture at the front in the middle or towards the back where it hinges. That will also hurt like buggery and you will probably need it pinned until it heals.

Breaking both together is possible, yes, but will not necessarily kill you but it will make life almost unbearable for a few months...
 
Sirrel Squirrel said:
Breaking your neck will kill you in most cases anyway, doesn't matter if your jaw breaks at the same time
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No it won't.
The higher you break your neck, the greater risk you run of dying due to breathing complications, but in the majority of cases you'll survive given prompt medical care. The further up you break your neck, the more paralysed you'll. Christopher Reeve broke the first and second vertebrae and he survived, and that was a complete break. Naturally he was completely paralysed from the neck downwards, (and needed assisted breathing) but it proves my point.
I personally know plenty of guys who have broken their necks and although they're still paralysed, then carry on a good quality of life.

As for the OPs question, I can't see why you'd die if you broke both, they're not connected in any way.
 
Ricochet J said:
My mate says you can break either at different times but if you break both together you'll die. I say no you won't, but you'll have a high chance of dieing.
Anyone comment on this please? Any got any experience? :p
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Well, if its the same injury causing the breaks, then its a much higher risk of dieing, due to the break in the neck being so high up.
 
if you break both at the same time then im guessing the force required to do that will be higher, and the more force, the more chance of death. so im guessing the risk of death is higher, not because it was specificaly the jaw and neck that were broken, but because there would have been a greater force which caused that.
 
panthro said:
The only time you will die from your neck breaking is if the spinal cord is severed or severely ruptured.
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Not necessarily, although that is the most likely scenario. For instance the break could cause swelling, leading to pressure, and death of the spinal cord
 
j00ni said:
Not necessarily, although that is the most likely scenario. For instance the break could cause swelling, leading to pressure, and death of the spinal cord
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Thats not quite right.
All spinal injuries lead to swelling of the spinal cord, thus resulting in paralysis, depening on the severity of the injury, some - or all - feeling may come back. I'll use Christopher Reeve as a good example..he broke his neck at the highest vertrebrae, yet he survived. At this height, breathing is almost impossible without assistance, so had he not received immediate medical care, he would have almost certainly have died pretty quickly.

I broke my back, and completely destroyed my spinal cord at level T5 (between the shoulder blades), and have known many tetraplegics (that's where you break your neck) so it most certainly does NOT mean 'instant death'.
 
robbiemc said:
All spinal injuries lead to swelling of the spinal cord, thus resulting in paralysis, depening on the severity of the injury, some - or all - feeling may come back.
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It depends on the amount of time and extent of the swelling though. It is entirely possible to have complete paralysis without severing the spinal cord.

On top of that there is infection, which could cause damage without severing the cord.

I don't see how your Christopher Reeve story backs you up. a) I thought he severed his spinal cord (b) if he didn't then his case supports my arguement
 
One of my friends was in a car accident in a Ka. Her friend(note woman) swerevd at 60mph to aviod a bunny! fool. End result them wrapped round a tree. She was sat in the middle of the back seats, where there is no seatbelt. She's learnt her lesson now.

She flew from the rear seats sideways, knocked both the driver and passenger out unconcious, and landed with her back on the gear stick after bouncing off the dashboard and broke her cokix(think thats how it spelt, bone at the bottom of the spine) and fractured one of the vertabre in her back. Another of her friends broke her foot, and the rest had cuts, bruises and concusions. after a few weeks in hospital they are all now fine.

Lessons learned: Kill any bunny rabbits you see, if it means not swerving to avoid them, and wear your seatbelts!

more to thread title, i havent a clue, i dont like to think about it!
 
according to chacha regardless of the spinal chord, if you brake your neck and jaw at the same time you die

if you brake your jaw and neck at the same time do you die?
Connected to guide: DonaldH
DonaldH: Welcome to ChaCha!
DonaldH: Hello!
You: hi
DonaldH: How can i serach for you today?
You: well you got ma question dont ya?
DonaldH: Yes
You: well just answer it in a yes or no answer
DonaldH: Yes
You: oh ok
and the link he gave me http://www.brake.org.uk/index.php?p=597


hmm i dont think the chacha man is quite that justified :p lol
 
Sirrel Squirrel said:
I said most cases, if you're lucky you just get paralysed, great
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i know 2 people whove broke there necks , was there when one happened :(

, both are alive and both are now fully fit , just have bits of metal in there neck that normal people wont have :p

aint really "most" imo.
 
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