Question

The characteristic triad of Klippel-Feil syndrome includes all of the following, except:

• A. Short neck
• B. Low hair line
• C. Limited neck movements
• D. Elevated scapula

Hint:

Short neck, low hairline and stiff neck are the triad; the high scapula is Sprengel deformity.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Start with what Klippel-Feil syndrome actually is: some of the neck vertebrae fail to separate during development and stay fused together. Now picture what a child with fused neck bones looks like. The neck appears unusually short, the back of the hairline sits abnormally low, and the head barely turns or tilts because the fused segments cannot move. Those three signs, short neck, low hairline and reduced neck motion, are memorised as the classic triad. Test each option against this trio. Short neck belongs, low hairline belongs, and limited neck movement belongs, so none of those is the exception being asked for. The elevated or high-riding scapula is a different problem called Sprengel deformity, where the shoulder blade fails to descend during development. It frequently tags along with Klippel-Feil cases, which is why it is offered as a trap, but it sits outside the three-feature triad. The question wants the item that does not belong, so the elevated scapula is the answer. \[\boxed{\text{Elevated scapula}}\]