
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, June 1, 1995                   TAG: 9506010093
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: The Washington Post
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

REEVE PARALYZED IN ACCIDENT

Actor Christopher Reeve, best known for his role as Superman, is paralyzed from the neck down and cannot breathe without the help of a respirator after breaking his neck in a riding accident in Culpeper on Saturday.

Reeve suffered fractures to the top two vertebrae, considered the most serious of cervical injuries, and also damaged his spinal cord, John A. Jane, the University of Virginia neurosurgeon treating Reeve in Charlottesville, revealed Wednesday.

Reeve, who is 42 and has enjoyed a prolific screen and stage career, was thrown from his horse and landed on his head during the second of three trial events in an equestrian competition. He was wearing a helmet and a protective vest at the time.

``He has sustained complex fractures to the first and second cervical vertebrae,'' Jane read from a statement at a news briefing. ``Mr. Reeve currently has no movement or spontaneous respiration. He may require surgery to stabilize the upper spine in the near future.''

While Jane said it is ``premature'' to speculate on Reeve's long-term prognosis, medical experts were painting a grim picture.

``It is a devastating injury, and yet the person is fully aware of what is happening,'' said Edward C. Benzel, chief of neurosurgery at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.

There are seven vertebrae in the neck. Any break in the first four, accompanied by a serious spinal cord injury, will cause severe impairment of breathing and quadriplegia. What's still unclear is the extent to which Reeve's spinal cord was disrupted.

by CNB