Among the worst injuries a person may suffer is a “broken neck,” a fracture in the cervical vertebra. It may result in irreversible paralysis or death.

The C1 and C2 vertebrae are the top two of seven vertebrae in the cervical spine. Depending upon their severity, these types of spinal cord injury are categorized as complete or incomplete.  Injuries at this top level of the spine can block nerve impulses to the rest of the body below that point, often leading to death or complete paralysis.

The C1 vertebra is also called the Atlas vertebra, named after the mythical…