RIB FRACTURES AND THEIR COMPLICATIONS.
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A histomorphometric study was done on healing defects in the ribs of Beagles. A transverse fracture was made in the left 9th and 10th ribs. Beagles were given either ethanol vehicle (n = 6) or prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) orally (n = 5) for the 30-day period after surgical manipulation to time of necropsy. Double fluorescent labels were given to measure bone matrix mineralization. Two fluorochrome markers were used: calcein before dogs were surgically manipulated and oxytetracycline HCl before they were killed. The two objectives of the present study were: (1) to determine the effects of fracture on regional cortico-endosteal remodeling 2 cm from a fracture site in the ribs of Beagles; and (2) to determine the effects of orally administered PGE2 on the above condition. The results suggested that the fractured and the non-fractured ribs in either group show a similar static and dynamic remodeling during the first 30 days of healing. The activation frequency in the PGE2 group was increased in both fractured and non-fractured ribs more than in the non-treated group. Therefore, the systemic administration of PGE2 can activate and synchronize remodeling cycles among BMUs.
OBJECTIVES: To examine the relationship between the number of rib fractures (RIBFs) and mortality, injury severity, and resource consumption in elderly patients admitted to trauma centers. DESIGN: Thirteen-year retrospective statewide database analysis. SETTING: Participating trauma centers in Pennsylvania. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 27,855 trauma patients, including 8,648 elderly patients, admitted to a trauma center with more than one RIBF. MEASUREMENTS: Patient demographics, number of RIBFs, Injury Severity Score, complications, patient mortality, preexisting conditions (PECs), and hospital and intensive care unit length of stay. RESULTS: Mortality for elderly patients (aged>/=65) with RIBFs was greater than for patients younger than 65 (20.1% vs 11.4%, P<.001). Mortality rates increased with increasing numbers of RIBFs for both age groups and were always significantly higher in elderly trauma patients. The effect of PECs on patient mortality was inversely related to number of RIBFs and was most pronounced for patients with four or more RIBFs. Seven of 10 complications were more common in elderly patients despite lower mean+/-standard deviation Injury Severity Score (19.4+/-13.4 vs 23.2+/-14.2, P<.001). CONCLUSION: Overall trauma-related mortality is higher in elderly patients with RIBFs than younger patients with RIBFs. Mortality rates rise with increasing number of RIBFs. The number of RIBFs is easy to quantify and may be a useful predictor of overall injury severity and outcome for elderly trauma patients.
A 27-year-old man presented with a lower trunk brachial plexus injury due to excessive callus formation following a stress-induced first rib fracture. The callus, but not the first rib, was resected through a supraclavicular approach. His symptoms resolved in 2 months, and no recurrence was seen at 2 years follow-up.
Reconstructing traumatic thoracic events, especially when soft tissues are absent, requires an advanced understanding of ribcage fracture patterns. The morphology and orientation of ribs complicate the fracture pattern, as a single blow often causes multiple fractures at various locations. Furthermore, fracture types observed in ribs are not explained easily by current bone biomechanic literature. Using evidential skeletal material archived at the Regional Forensic Center, Memphis, the ribs of 43 blunt force trauma cases were analyzed. A total of 195 incomplete fractures and 63 buckle fractures were noted. Incomplete fractures, previously thought to be common in children but rare in adults, were found among individuals ranging in age from 21-76 years. A buckle fracture, failure resulting from compressive instability, has been undefined previously in bone trauma literature but was repeatedly observed in this sample. This study elucidates recognizable rib fracture patterns while emphasizing gross bone examination for force and mechanical factors.
According to our results, permanent epidural anaesthesia was significantly superior to systemic opioid treatment in patients with serial rib fractures. The main advantages were not only continuous pain relief despite the fact that the nonepidural control group required more than twice the dosage of morphine derivatives; also, the respiratory and pain-related recovery time was reduced. Another advantage was the selective effect (due to the local application) on respiratory pain and therefore on respiration as a whole. Deep breathing and expectoration were easier, so that the use of respirators and other artificial breathing aids could be avoided or at least reduced in duration in some cases. This makes the method particularly suitable for use in the management of polytraumatized patients. The standard dose was a mixture of 3.3 mg morphine and 37.5 mg bupivacaine (= 1/3 ampoule morphine + 15 ml Carbostesin 0.25%) every 12 h. When morphine was temporary contraindicated (frequently the final diagnosis in the case of an "acute abdomen" delayed the administration of morphine) the use of bupivacaine alone provided a satisfactory result for a certain time (we never observed tachyphylaxis). Additional systemic pain relievers were only necessary when the patient was suffering from pain caused by other injuries beyond the area of effectiveness of the epidural catheter (the only obvious disadvantage of the local application technique). On the other hand, epidural anaesthesia enabled us to treat a patient's lower-leg fracture by interlocking nailing, while adding only 0.01 mg fentanyl (= 2 ml Fentanyl Janssen) and 1.2 mg flunitrazepam (Rohypnol).
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In a retrospective study we evaluated the data regarding 126 patients (96 male/30 female) hospitalized with rib fractures between 1986 and 1989. Fifty percent of the subjects had been in a traffic accident. Eighty-five percent of the patients had 2-7 broken ribs. Sixty-two patients suffered from multiple injuries, 40% were men aged less than 40 years. Fifty-six patients were treated by pleural drainage either for hemato- and/or pneumothorax or to prevent intrapleural tension during surgical intervention under endotracheal anesthesia. Thirty-two patients underwent mechanical ventilation for between 1 and 52 days (mean 10 days). In five cases a flail chest was stabilized by ribosteosynthesis to avoid prolonged artificial ventilation. Pain relief by continuous peridural Carbostesin (bupivacaine) administration was given to 31 patients. There was a positive correlation between the incidence of pneumo- and hematothorax and the number of broken ribs. A significant association was found between multiple-injured patients died in hospital; six of them had multiple injuries. The recovery of 44 patients was interrupted by complications, predominantly of pulmonary origin (68%). The pattern and severity of concomitant injuries and interference of complications influenced the length of the hospital stay; pulmonary complications doubled it.
A 2-week-old infant presented with bilateral rib fractures, hypercalcemia, and subperiosteal bone erosions. Parathyroid hormone levels were elevated and urine calcium low. Her parent's laboratory test results were normal. Gene sequencing revealed a new mutation of the calcium-sensing receptor gene, causing severe neonatal hyperparathyroidism, a variant of hypocalciuric hypercalcemia. This is a rare cause of neonatal hyperparathyroidism and nonabusive fractures.
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Intercostal pulmonary hernia, a protrusion of lung parenchyma with overlying pleural membranes through an abnormal defect in the thoracic cage, is an uncommon phenomenon. Rib fractures caused by coughing similarly represent an infrequently occurring clinical presentation. Pulmonary herniation through an intercostal defect caused by cough fractures has been described twice in the literature to our knowledge. We present a case of pulmonary herniation secondary to cough fracture in a chronic bronchitic, successfully treated by thoracotomy with application of the basic principles of hernia repair, and a discussion of the mechanisms of injury.
Interpleural block (IPB) was compared with epidural block (EB) in 17 adults with unilateral multiple rib fractures and hemopneumothorax. The study was a randomized, crossover, before-after trial on the first and second hospital days. An IPB catheter was inserted along with a chest tube, and an upper thoracic EB was also established in the same patient. We administered 10 ml of 1% lidocaine for both blocks. The range of thermohypesthesia was unilateral and shorter in IPB, whereas it was bilateral and wider in EB. The effects of pain relief were almost the same. Respiratory rate decreased, and PaO2 tended to elevate similarly. In IPB, systemic blood pressure changed minimally, but it fell significantly in EB, which would be a disadvantage of EB in trauma patients. Serum levels of lidocaine were similar and in the safe range. The technique of IPB seemed to be easier than EB. In conclusion, IPB with lidocaine is as effective for pain relief as EB.
We have used transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) to treat the acute pain of rib fractures. The study shows that it is an effective technique, achieving higher subjective pain relief scores by patients when compared with analgesic combinations, and achieving greater increases objectively in arterial oxygen concentrations and peak expiratory flow rates. TENS approaches the ideal analgesic in that it is continuous in effect and the dose is patient regulated. It is recommended as an important adjunct to conventional therapy.
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A case is presented in which intermittent i.v. alfentanil was titrated to meet the analgesic requirements in a patient with extensive rib fractures, during each session of intensive chest physiotherapy. This method of analgesia is discussed and compared with other analgesic techniques.
The authors report the case of a 21-year old woman who presented bilateral spontaneous fractures of the first ribs, in the posterior portion on the right side, in the anterior portion on the left side. The pathogenesis of spontaneous fractures of the first rib is discussed.
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