Fixation of Multiple-Segmented Costosternal Cartilage Fracture in Flail Chest Injury: A Case Report

Early internal fixation of rib fractures in the setting of flail chest has proven benefits over traditional conservative treatment. This can decrease pneumonia, time on mechanical ventilation, length of stay in intensive care units, need for tracheostomy and increase in the pulmonary function test. However, there are few reports regarding on how to restore the costochondral junction, or costal cartilage in cases of anterior or anterolateral flail chest involving cartilage matrix of the ribs or costochondral joint. This case report describes a surgical technique to restore the costochondral junction with plate osteosynthesis and the results.

Outcomes of Trauma Patients with Flail Chest and Surgical Rib Stabilization

The goal of this project was to describe the current practices of this institution and identify which patients benefit from surgical stabilization of rib fractures (SSRF). A total of 1429 trauma patients admitted to our Level 1 center with rib fractures between January 1, 2014 and June 22, 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. Flail chest was observed in 43 (3.01%) patients. Surgical stabilization of rib fractures was pursued in 27 of all patients (1.89%). Twenty-four flail chest patients required intubation (ETT). Nineteen were not intubated (NoET). Of the ETT group, 8 underwent SSRF and 16 did not. Those who had SSRF had a shorter ventilator LOS (7.1 vs 15.7 d) and ICU LOS (9.8 vs 11.9 d). Surgical stabilization of rib fractures has shown success in managing flail chest. In intubated patients with flail chest, fixation seems to decrease ICU stays and the duration of ventilation. We believe we need to perform SSRF on more patients with flail chest.

Thoracic Spine Fractures with Blunt Aortic Injury: Incidence, Risk Factors, and Characteristics

Background: The coexistence of thoracic fractures and blunt aortic injury (BAI) is potentially catastrophic and easy to be missed in acute trauma settings. Data regarding patients with thoracic fractures complicated with BAI are limited. Methods: The authors conducted a prospective, observational, single-center study including patients with thoracic burst fractures. A multivariate logistic regression model was developed to determine the risk factors of aortic injury. Results: In total, 124 patients with burst fractures of the thoracic spine were included. The incidence of BAI was 11.3% (14/124) in patients with thoracic burst fractures. Among these patients, 11 patients with BAI were missed diagnoses. The main risk factors of BAI were as follows: Injury severity score (OR 1.184; 95% CI, 1.072–1.308; p = 0.001), mechanism of injury, such as crush (OR 10.474; 95% CI, 1.905–57.579; p = 0.007), flail chest (OR = 4.917; 95% CI, 1.122–21.545; p = 0.035), and neurological deficit (OR = 8.299; 95% CI, 0.999–68.933; p = 0.05). Conclusions: BAI (incidence 11.3%) is common in patients with burst fractures of the thoracic spine and is an easily missed diagnosis. We must maintain a high suspicion of injury for BAI when patients with thoracic burst fractures present with these high-risk factors.

The significance of a concomitant clavicle fracture in flail chest patients: incidence, concomitant injuries, and outcome of 12,348 polytraumata from the TraumaRegister DGU®

Purpose Isolated clavicle fractures (CF) rarely show complications, but their influence in the thorax trauma of the seriously injured still remains unclear. Some authors associate CF with a higher degree of chest injuries; therefore, the clavicle is meant to be a gatekeeper of the thorax. Methods A retrospective analysis of the TraumaRegister DGU® (project 2017-10) was carried out involving the years 2009–2016 (ISS ≥ 16, primary admission to a trauma center). Cohort formation: unilateral and bilateral flail chest injuries (FC), respectively, with and without a concomitant CF. Results 73,141 patients (26.5% female) met the inclusion criteria and 12,348 had flail chest injuries (FC; 20.0% CF; 67.7% monolateral FC), 25,425 other rib fractures (17.7% CF), and 35,368 had no rib fractures (6.5% CF). On average, monolateral FC patients were 56.0 ± 17.9 years old and bilateral FC patients were 57.7 ± 19 years old. The ISS in unilateral and bilateral FC were 29.1 ± 11.7 and 42.2 ± 12.9 points, respectively. FC with a CF occurred more frequently with bicycle and motorbike injuries in monolateral FC and pedestrians in bilateral FC injuries and less frequently due to falls. Patients with a CF in addition to a FC had longer hospital and ICU stays, underwent artificially respiration for longer periods, and died less often than patients without a CF. The effects were highly significant in bilateral FC. CF indicates more relevant concomitant injuries of the lung, scapula, and spinal column. Moreover, CF was associated with more injuries of the extremities in monolateral CF. Conclusion Due to the relevance of a concomitant CF fracture in FC, diagnostics should focus on finding CFs or rule them out. Combined costoclavicular injuries are associated with a significantly higher degree of thoracic injuries and longer hospital stays.

Age as a Barrier to Surgical Stabilization of Rib Fractures in Patients with Flail Chest

Introduction Although randomized trials demonstrate a benefit to surgical stabilization of rib fractures (SSRF), SSRF is rarely performed. We hypothesized older patients were less likely to receive SSRF nationally. Methods The 2016 National Inpatient Sample was used to identify adults with flail chest. Comorbidities and receipt of SSRF were categorized by ICD-10 code. Univariable testing and Multivariable regression were performed to determine the association of demographic characteristics and comorbidities to receipt of SSRF. Results 1021 patients with flail chest were identified, including 244 (23.9%) who received SSRF. Patients ≥70 years were less likely to receive SSRF. (<70 yrs 201/774 [26.0%] vs ≥70 43/247 [17.4%], P = .006) and had higher risk of death (<70 yrs 39/774 [5.0%] vs ≥70 33/247 [13.4%], P < .001) In multivariable modeling, only age ≥70 years was associated with SSRF (OR .591, P = .005). Conclusion Despite guideline-based support of SSRF in flail chest, SSRF is performed in <25% of patients. Age ≥70 years is associated with lower rate of SSRF and higher risk of death. Future study should examine barriers to SSRF in older patients.

TP9.2.26Patients admitted onto an Emergency General Surgery unit with rib fractures are mostly elderly and frail and outcomes may be poor: results of a 12-month audit

Aim An audit of rib fracture (RF) patients admitted to an EGS unit to determine demographics, injury mechanisms & outcomes. Methods Retrospective analysis was undertaken of all RF patients admitted between 1st Jan & 31st Dec 2019. Patient demographics, injury mechanism, comorbidities, length of stay (LOS) & outcomes were recorded. Analysis of age-related differences was undertaken using Mann Whitney U & Chi Squared tests. Results There were 115 patients (67 males) with median age 74 (38 patients &lt;65 yrs; 77 patients &gt;65 yrs). Seventy-three patients (63.5%) sustained injury after a fall. Eighty (69%) patients had cardiorespiratory, cerebrovascular or metabolic conditions, of whom 62 (54%) were &gt;65 yrs, & 31 (27%) were on antiplatelets or anticoagulants. Thirty-eight (33%) had a pneumothorax or haemothorax, 19 (5.4%) flail chest & 39 (34%) additional bony injuries. Some 107 (93%) were managed on a rib fracture pathway. Thirty-seven (32%) patients developed pulmonary complications (infection 27, effusion 5, contusion 5) & 8 (7%) died. Subgroup analysis revealed a significant difference in LOS (median 3 vs 6.5 days, p = 0.00144) for age &lt;65 vs &gt;65 years & gender (females 9.5 vs males 3.5 days, p = 0.00114), as well as for age &lt;65 vs &gt;65 & injury mechanism (no fall vs fall, p = 0.042). Conclusion RFs are commonly sustained in frail elderly patients following a fall & are associated with significant pulmonary consequences in around a third, with potentially long hospital stay. Close collaboration with Pain Teams and specialists in Medicine for the Elderly is essential.