A coinsidence, a chance or a misfortune? Hangman's fracture

Abstract

William R. Francis and Bassam El-Effendi shared a common ground: they were the first individuals to classify Hangman's Fractures. Interestingly, although they were unaware of each other, they classified and published their findings in the same year, published in the same edition of the same journal (but on different pages). This new classification system was a chance for notoriety for El-Effendi, yet it was a misfortune for Francis. Both physicians graduated in 1973 (from different universities). Also fellows at different universities in 1981, they were also both unaware they studied the same topic. Coincidentally, their paths crossed in the same edition of a journal where their studies were published in the same year, which was unprecedented in the literature. One classification scheme is well-known while the other is almost completely unheard of for no apparent reason other than chance for one and misfortune for the other.