A cervical spine fracture does not necessarily result in death on the spot; in fact, cervical spine disease in patients who die on the spot is usually not caused by a cervical spine fracture, but by a cervical spine dislocation. When the fracture is followed by a fracture block that is not significantly displaced, there are no symptoms of compression on the spinal cord. And if the cervical fracture is low, even if the fracture is heavy and the fracture fragment punctures the spinal cord and dural sac, producing a spinal cord injury, it will not cause the patient to die on the spot. But it can lead to quadriplegia below the level of the injury, because only fractures and dislocations above the fourth cervical region, where the fracture is severe, can cause the patient to die on the spot. Because there is a respiratory and heartbeat center at the level of the fourth cervical vertebra, a fracture or dislocation in this area could cause a relatively large disturbance to the spinal cord and could cause the patient to suffer a cardiac and respiratory arrest, resulting in on-the-spot death.