What is a clay shovelers fracture?
A clay shoveler’s fracture is a fracture of the spinous process, often seen in the lower cervical spine. In the 1930s, numerous men worked as clay shovelers in Australia. This injury occurred as a result of hyperflexion when the worker attempted to throw a shovel full of clay with the shovel stuck in the clay. Currently, this fracture occurs as a result of football and power-lifting injuries.
