Posterior rib fractures as a cause of delayed aortic injury: A case series and literature review

Boyles, Aaron D.; Taylor, Benjamin C.; Ferrel, Jason R.

doi:10.1016/j.injury.2013.03.011

Cited by 15 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 11 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Displacement may be minimal or obvious (Fig 19). Injury to the surrounding tissues and structures can occur, and several lethal complications have been documented in the literature (54). Displaced fractures may be identified at radiography or CT.…”

Section: Displaced Rib Fracturementioning

confidence: 99%

Traumatic Rib Injury: Patterns, Imaging Pitfalls, Complications, and Treatment

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The ribs are frequently affected by blunt or penetrating injury to the thorax. In the emergency department setting, it is vital for the interpreting radiologist to not only identify the presence of rib injuries but also alert the clinician about organ-specific injury, specific traumatic patterns, and acute rib trauma complications that require emergent attention. Rib injuries can be separated into specific morphologic fracture patterns that include stress, buckle, nondisplaced, displaced, segmental, and pathologic fractures. Specific attention is also required for flail chest and for fractures due to pediatric nonaccidental trauma. Rib fractures are associated with significant morbidity and mortality, both of which increase as the number of fractured ribs increases. Key complications associated with rib fracture include pain, hemothorax, pneumothorax, extrapleural hematoma, pulmonary contusion, pulmonary laceration, acute vascular injury, and abdominal solid-organ injury. Congenital anomalies, including supernumerary or accessory ribs, vestigial anterior ribs, bifid ribs, and synostoses, are common and should not be confused with traumatic pathologic conditions. Nontraumatic mimics of traumatic rib injury, with or without fracture, include metastatic disease, primary osseous neoplasms (osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, Langerhans cell histiocytosis, and osteochondroma), fibrous dysplasia, and Paget disease. Principles of management include supportive and procedural methods of alleviating pain, treating complications, and stabilizing posttraumatic deformity. By recognizing and accurately reporting the imaging findings, the radiologist will add value to the care of patients with thoracic trauma. Online supplemental material is available for this article. RSNA, 2017.

show abstract

Section: Displaced Rib Fracturementioning

confidence: 99%

Traumatic Rib Injury: Patterns, Imaging Pitfalls, Complications, and Treatment

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Multiple rib fracture is quite common in blunt chest trauma patients, and it is a major indicator suggesting solid-organ damage in the thoracic cavity or the peritoneal cavity [ 1 , 2 ]. The aorta injury caused by the fractured rib fragment is a major sign of a blunt chest trauma patient; however, the actual occurrence of such an injury is very rare [ 2 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Treatment Case of Delayed Aortic Injury: The Patient with Posterior Rib Fracture

Park

Ryu

Cho

et al. 2014

Korean J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A 66-year-old male patient arrived at the emergency room with a crush injury to his chest. Multiple rib fractures, hemothorax on both sides, left scapular fracture, liver laceration, and retroperitoneal hematoma were found upon the radiologic examination. After closed thoracostomy, the patient had been initially admitted to the intensive care unit, but he was transferred to the general ward on the next day. On the 4th post-trauma day, the patient complained of severe pain and there was bloody drainage through the chest tube. This case is an exploration with the consideration of the possibility of major bleeding and the subsequent repair of the descending thoracic aorta. This case is regarded as a case in which the aorta wall was damaged as the sharp margin of the fractured ribs caused continuous irritation.

show abstract

“…Multiple rib fractures are common in blunt chest trauma, and can lead to various injuries of intrathoracic organs such as pneumothorax, hemothorax, lung contusions, and injuries to neighboring organs [ 5 ]. A great vessel injury caused by a rib fracture can be fatal but, fortunately, seldom occurs [ 6 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, several cases of delayed aortic injury caused by a rib fracture have been reported, and almost all patients had involvement of the descending aorta owing to a posterior rib fracture [ 5 ]. Because the ascending aorta is protected by the sternum and the ribs are relatively distant from the heart, as in our case, ascending aortic injury after blunt trauma is rarely reported in the literature.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cardiac tamponade associated with delayed ascending aortic perforation after blunt chest trauma: a case report

Ryu

Lee

2017

BMC Surg

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BackgroundCardiac tamponade due to aortic injury after blunt trauma is a rare and potentially fatal injury. Most aortic injuries caused by blunt trauma present as aortic dissection or rupture of the aortic isthmus. Several cases of delayed aortic injury have been reported. However, all of these injuries were observed in the descending aorta because they had been caused by a posterior rib fracture.Case presentationWe report the first case of cardiac tamponade associated with delayed ascending aortic perforation 2 weeks after blunt trauma. The patient was an 81-year-old man.ConclusionIn cases of blunt chest trauma, delayed ascending aortic injury causing cardiac tamponade is possible associated with various causes such as direct injury by fractured rib or delayed aortic perforation of initial blunt injury.

show abstract

Posterior rib fractures as a cause of delayed aortic injury: A case series and literature review

Cited by 15 publications

References 11 publications

Traumatic Rib Injury: Patterns, Imaging Pitfalls, Complications, and Treatment

Traumatic Rib Injury: Patterns, Imaging Pitfalls, Complications, and Treatment

A Treatment Case of Delayed Aortic Injury: The Patient with Posterior Rib Fracture

Cardiac tamponade associated with delayed ascending aortic perforation after blunt chest trauma: a case report

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About