OBJECTIVE The wisdom of surgery facing multiple and multi-focal ribs fractures (flail segment) remains controversial. By the present retrospective study, we sought to determine the advisability of surgery as well as the anatomical and biomechanical features of flail segment leading to secondary dislocation. METHOD From 1970 to 2000, 127 patients underwent flail segment osteosynthesis. Clinica...

IN the past seven years four cases of cough fracture with eight fractures were found at Killadeas Hospital and the Chest Clinic, Erne Hospital, Enniskillen. No previous record of cough fracture of a rib in Northern Ireland is known to the writer. Yet any patient with a history of cough followed by pleuritic pain may be suffering from one. Other conditions predisposing to fracture may also be pr...

Lung hernia is a rare occurrence. Consequently there is little literature providing guidance to effective management. Classified as congenital or acquired, there are fewer than 300 cases described in current literature (1). We describe a unique method for the management of spontaneous rib fractures and, resulting posterior lung herniation in a 65 year old man following a bout of coughing.

BACKGROUND Surgical stabilization of flail chest injury with generic osteosynthesis implants remains challenging. A novel implant system comprising anatomic rib plates and intramedullary splints may improve surgical stabilization of flail chest injuries. This observational study evaluated our early clinical experience with this novel implant system to document if it can simplify the surgical pr...

AIM To compare the effectiveness of radiological skeletal survey and bone scintigraphy for the detection of bony injuries in cases of suspected child abuse. METHODS All cases with a discharge diagnosis of child abuse that presented to the Royal Children's Hospital between 1989 and 1998 were retrieved, and those children that had undergone both skeletal survey and bone scintigraphy (radioisoto...

BACKGROUND Thoracic trauma accounts for 10%-15% of all trauma admissions. Rib fractures are the most common injury following blunt thoracic trauma. Epidural analgesia improves patient outcomes but is not without problems. The use of continuous intercostal nerve blockade (CINB) may offer superior pain control with fewer side effects. This study's objective was to compare the rate of pulmonary co...

Blunt trauma resulting in rib fractures can be associated with hemothorax, pneumothorax, pulmonary contusions or less frequently chest and abdominal wall hematomas. Our case describes the first report of hemoperitoneum secondary to intercostal arterial bleeding from blunt trauma in a patient on anticoagulation.

We report a male patient who presented with suspicion of skeletal metastases based upon an abnormal 99-mTc bone scan, which showed increased uptake at both femoral heads, left femoral neck, and several ribs. The images also suggested reflex sympathetic dystrophy, subcapital fracture of the left femur, and rib fractures. A diagnosis of hypophosphataemic osteomalacia was finally made.

BACKGROUND About 10% of adult patients in high-energy trauma sustain multiple rib fractures. Some of these patients suffer from flail chest leading to respiratory insufficiency. During last years interest and results for operative treatment has improved. The literature today all show positive results for surgical versus conservative treatment, specifically with regard to time spent in mechanica...

BACKGROUND There is scarce knowledge of physical function and pain due to multiple rib fractures following trauma. The purpose of this follow-up was to assess respiratory and physical function, pain, range of movement and kinesiophobia in patients with multiple rib fractures who had undergone stabilizing surgery and compare with conservatively managed patients. METHODS A consecutive series of...