Rib Stabilization: Lessons Learned
Overview
Emergency Medicine
Authors
Affiliations
Introduction: The management of rib fractures and flail chest has changed considerably over the past century, and recently there has been a renewed interest in operative rib stabilization for these injuries. Despite numerous reports suggesting improved outcomes with rib stabilization, there are not well-defined indications and the approach remains somewhat controversial.
Materials And Methods: The authors reflect on their experience of performing rib stabilization in over 100 patients with rib fractures and flail chest.
Conclusion: The authors offer their opinions on this operation with respect to rationale, indications, timing, technique, and postoperative care.
Granados Santiago M, Lopez Lopez L, Quero Valenzuela F, Calvache Mateo A, Martin Nunez J, Ortiz Rubio A Healthcare (Basel). 2024; 12(19).
PMID: 39408163 PMC: 11476026. DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12191984.
Three common exposures of the chest wall for rib fixation: anatomical considerations.
Greiffenstein P, Tran M, Campeau L J Thorac Dis. 2019; 11(Suppl 8):S1034-S1043.
PMID: 31205760 PMC: 6545510. DOI: 10.21037/jtd.2019.03.33.
[Injuries of the posterior and lateral chest wall-importance of an additional clavicular fracture].
Langenbach A, Krinner S, Hennig F, Ekkernkamp A, Schulz-Drost S Unfallchirurg. 2018; 121(8):615-623.
PMID: 30043074 DOI: 10.1007/s00113-018-0528-1.
Langenbach A, Oppel P, Grupp S, Krinner S, Pachowsky M, Buder T Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg. 2017; 44(3):471-481.
PMID: 29124273 DOI: 10.1007/s00068-017-0877-4.
Blunt chest trauma: is there a place for rib stabilization?.
Mitchell J J Thorac Dis. 2017; 9(Suppl 3):S211-S217.
PMID: 28446987 PMC: 5392539. DOI: 10.21037/jtd.2017.04.05.