Basilar fracture


Basilar fracture: A break in bone at the base of the skull. About a half of basilar fractures are caused by bicycle or motor vehicle accidents, about a quarter by falls, and a tenth by recreational activities, particularly by diving accidents. The balance are due to other causes. No matter what cause, the risk of death with a basilar fracture is appreciable.

The term basilar means located at or near the base of a structure, especially the skull.

Read Also:

  • Baskerville effect

    Baskerville effect: A fatal heart attack triggered by extreme psychological stress. The effect is named after Charles Baskerville, a character in the Arthur Conan Doyle story “The Hound of the Baskervilles,” who suffers a fatal heart attack due to extreme psychological stress. The term “Baskerville effect” was coined in 2001 in the course of a […]

  • Basophil

    Basophil: A type of white blood cell (leukocyte) with coarse, bluish-black granules of uniform size within the cytoplasm. Basophils are so named because their cytoplasmic granules stain with basic dyes. Basophils normally constitute 0.5 to 3 percent of the peripheral blood leukocytes, and contain histamine and serotonin. Also known as a basophilic leukocyte.

  • Bather's eruption

    Bather’s eruption: An intensely itchy rash due to contact with the tiny thimble jellyfish (Linuche unguiculata). These jellyfish are common between March and August in the waters off of Florida and in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. There may be no adult jellyfish around as a warning. The jellyfish larvae look like […]

  • Batten disease

    Batten disease: a rare, fatal genetic condition that typically begins in childhood. It is a form of a group of neurologic disorders called the neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses, or NCLs. The term Batten disease is sometimes used to refer to all the NCL disorders. Early signs can be vision changes, seizures, clumsiness, or behavior changes. With […]

  • Bathophobia

    Bathophobia: An abnormal and persistent fear of depths. Sufferers from bathophobia experience anxiety even though they realize they are safe from falling into or being consumed by depths. The feared object may be a long, dark hallway, a well or a deep pool or lake. “Bathophobia” is derived from the Greek “bathos” (depth) and “phobos” […]


Disclaimer: Basilar fracture definition / meaning should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. All content on this website is for informational purposes only.