Internal decapitation
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
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Overview
Internal decapitation, atlantooccipital dislocation, describes the rare process by which the skull separates from the spinal column during severe head injury. This injury is nearly always fatal, since it usually involves nerve damage or severance of the spinal cord.
Hanging relies on allowing the subject to break their neck under their own weight.