Diaphragmatic Rupture Secondary to Blunt Thoracic Trauma

Introduction: Diaphragmatic rupture is a relatively rare injury with a reported incidence of 1 to 7% of all patients following significant blunt trauma. 4 In a review of 1589 patients, Asensio et al reported that 75% had left sided injuries, 23% had right-sided injuries, and 2% had bilateral injuries. 1 This preponderance for left-sided injuries is thought to be related to the protective effect of the bare area of the liver in contact with the diaphragm in the right thorax. 3 The pathophysiology in blunt trauma is due to the abrupt change in intraabdomonial pressure that is thought to cause the majority of injuries, although shearing and/or avulsion can also occur especially following lateral trauma. 2