DOCTORS have reconnected a 12-year-old boy’s skull to his body after he suffered “internal decapitation” in a freak car accident.
Medics in Jerusalem, Israel, say they performed the “extremely rare” operation on Suleiman Hassan after a car knocked him off his bike.
His skull broke off the top vertebrae in his spine in the hit in June, effectively separating his head from his body with just skin and muscles keeping it in place.
The injury is known as atlanto-occipital dislocation, or internal decapitation.
Surgeons had to act fast to fix the bones back together to protect the spinal cord and save the boy’s life, The Times of Israel reported.
Dr Ohad Einav, from the Hadassah Medical Center, said: “We fought for the boy’s life.
“The procedure itself is very complicated and took several hours.
“While in the operating room, we used new plates and fixations in the damaged area.
“Our ability to save the child was thanks to our knowledge and the most innovative technology in the operating room.”
The shocking injury happened when the ligaments attaching Suleiman’s skull to his spine were so badly damaged that they could no longer hold the bones in place.
It is very rare and deadly but survival rates are improving thanks to modern medicine.
The spinal cord, which is protected by the vertebrae, is an extremely fragile bundle of nerves.
Damage to it can be catastrophic, cutting off vital signals between the brain, muscles and organs.
Suleiman’s surgery was a success and he was sent home with a neck brace and is being monitored by doctors.
Dr Einav said it is impressive that he is “functionally normally” already and does not appear to have any lasting nerve damage.
The boy’s dad stayed with his son in the hospital and told medics: “I will thank you all my life for saving my dear only son. Bless you all.
“Thanks to you he regained his life even when the odds were low and the danger was obvious.”