Klippel–Feil syndrome
physical disorder that has material basis in abnormal segmentation of the vertebra during fetal development which results in fusion located in cervical vertebra
Klippel–Feil syndrome (KFS), also known as cervical vertebral fusion syndrome, is a rare congenital condition characterized by the abnormal fusion of any two of the seven bones in the neck (cervical vertebrae). It can result in a limited ability to move the neck and shortness of the neck, resulting in the appearance of a low hairline. Most people only have one or two of those symptoms so it may not be noticeable without medical imaging.
The syndrome is difficult to diagnose, as it occurs in a group of patients affected with many different abnormalities who can only be unified by the presence of fused or segmental cervical vertebrae. KFS is not always genetic and not always known about on the date of birth.
The disease was initially reported in 1884 by Maurice Klippel and André Feil from France. In 1919, André Feil suggested another classification of the syndrome, encompassing not only deformation of the cervical spine, but also deformation of the lumbar and thoracic spine.
Signs and symptoms
KFS is associated with many other abnormalities of the body, hence thorough evaluation of all patients with fused cervical vertebrae at birth is required. Furthermore, it is unclear whether KFS is a unique disease, or if it is one part of a spectrum of congenital spinal deformities.
KFS is usually diagnosed after birth.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Klippel–Feil syndrome” as physical disorder that has material basis in abnormal segmentation of the vertebra during fetal development which results in fusion located in cervical vertebra. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
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The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as physical disorder that has material basis in abnormal segmentation of the vertebra during fetal development which results in fusion located in cervical vertebra. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 13, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1774751. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1884 and 1919.
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This entry incorporates text from “Klippel–Feil syndrome” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.