Clay Shoveler’s Fracture

Hema N. Choudur, Anthony G. Ryan, and Peter L. Munk

A 28-year-old man presented with acute pain and tenderness in the posteroinferior neck following an episode of shoveling snow. No focal swelling was noted on clinical examination, but there was slight restriction in neck movements.

Figure 107A

Figure 107B

Clay shoveler’s fracture.

None.

This stable cervical injury is incidentally seen on many cervical spine radiographs and occurs in the lower cervical spinous processes, usually C7.

Hyperflexion of the cervical spine causes C3–T3 spinous process fractures. The term clay-shoveler’s fracture