Editing Hanging (section)

==Medical effects==
[[File:Anoxicbraininjury.png|thumb|upright|[[Cerebral hypoxia|Anoxic brain injury]] following a hanging{{mdash}}both the loss of visible differentiation between [[Grey matter|grey]] and [[white matter]] and the reduced [[Ventricular system|ventricle]] size due to brain swelling are visible]]
 
A hanging may induce one or more of the following medical conditions, some leading to death:
* Closure of [[carotid arteries]] causing [[cerebral hypoxia]]<ref name=JSpine2011-02/>
* Closure of the [[jugular vein]]s
* Breaking of the [[neck]] ([[cervical fracture]]) causing traumatic [[Cervical spine injury|spinal cord injury]] or even unintended [[decapitation]]
* Closure of the [[airway]]<ref name=JSpine2011-02/>

The cause of death in hanging depends on the conditions related to the event. When the body is released from a relatively high position, the major cause of death is severe trauma to the upper cervical spine. The injuries produced are highly variable. One study showed that only a small minority of a series of judicial hangings produced fractures to the cervical spine (6 out of 34 cases studied), with half of these fractures (3 out of 34) being the classic "[[hangman's fracture]]" (bilateral fractures of the pars interarticularis of the C2 vertebra).<ref>James R, Nasmyth-Jones R., "The occurrence of cervical fractures in victims of judicial hanging", ''Forensic Science International'', April 1992; 54(1):81–91.</ref> 

According to ''Historical and biomechanical aspects of hangman's fracture'', the phrase in the usual execution order, "hanged by the neck until dead", was necessary.<ref name=JSpine2011-02/> 

The side, or subaural knot, has been shown to produce other, more complex injuries, with one thoroughly studied case producing only ligamentous injuries to the cervical spine and bilateral vertebral artery disruptions, but no major vertebral fractures or crush injuries to the spinal cord.<ref>Wallace SK, Cohen WA, Stern EJ, Reay DT, "Judicial hanging: postmortem radiographic, CT, and MR imaging features with autopsy confirmation", ''Radiology'', October 1994; 193(1):263–7.</ref> 

[[File:Hanged, drawn and quartered.jpg|thumb|upright|[[John Ogilvie (saint)|John Ogilvie]], who in 1615 was hanged and disembowelled after torture for his refusal to give up the Catholic faith and convert to Protestantism]]

In the absence of fracture and dislocation, occlusion of blood vessels becomes the major cause of death, rather than [[asphyxia]]tion. Obstruction of venous drainage of the brain via occlusion of the internal jugular veins leads to [[cerebral oedema]] and then [[cerebral ischemia]]. The face will typically become engorged and [[cyanosis|cyanotic]] (turned blue through lack of oxygen).
Compromise of the cerebral blood flow may occur by obstruction of the carotid arteries, even though their obstruction requires far more force than the obstruction of jugular veins, since they are seated deeper and they contain blood in much higher pressure compared to the jugular veins.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.richard.clark32.btinternet.co.uk/hanging2.html#causes|title=How hanging causes death|access-date = 27 April 2006 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060426025804/http://www.richard.clark32.btinternet.co.uk/hanging2.html#causes|archive-date = 26 April 2006}}</ref>