We’re all a bit freaked out that head transplants could be a thing that are actually about to happen. But here’s an example of the miracles modern medical science is capable of right now.
16-months-old Jaxon Taylor was involved in a 70 mph collision with another car in Melbourne, Australia. His mum and sister were saved by their airbags, but Jaxon suffered what known as an internal decapitation—the force of the crash was so powerful that it broke both his c1 and c2 vertebrae and his collarbone, essentially pulling his head away from his neck.
But Spinal surgeon Doctor Geoff Askin and his team were able to reattach the vertebrae after six hours of surgery, attaching them with a tiny piece of wire, and then used a piece of his rib to graft them together. The surgeon said it was the worst example of this type of injury that he’d ever seen.
Jaxon will have to wear a metal brace for two months while the bones fuse back together, but after that he is expected to make a full recovery. Which is pretty incredible, really.
[via The Independent]
