What to do if you have a rib fracture?

Nowadays, many people suffer from rib fractures during exercise. The ribs occupy an important position in a person's upper body. They help protect the internal organs and provide support. If rib fractures affect a person's normal movements, what should we do if our ribs are fractured?

There are 12 pairs of ribs, equally divided on both sides of the chest, connected to the sternum in front and the thoracic vertebrae in the back, forming a complete foot outline. When the chest is injured, whether it is a closed injury or an open injury, rib fractures are the most common, accounting for about 90% of thoracic fractures. The rib fractures caused by different external violence modes may have different characteristics: rib fractures caused by direct violence acting on a limited part of the chest, the broken ends shift inward, may puncture the intercostal blood vessels, pleura and lungs, and cause hemothorax or (and) pneumothorax; indirect violence, such as when the chest is squeezed from front to back, the fractures are mostly in the middle section of the ribs, the broken ends shift outward, puncture the soft tissue of the chest wall, and cause chest wall hematoma.

Rib fractures caused by gunshot or shrapnel injuries are often comminuted fractures. In children, the ribs are elastic and not easily broken, but in adults, especially the elderly, the elasticity of the ribs is weakened and they are easily fractured. In children and adolescents, the ribs themselves are elastic and not easy to break. Sometimes the internal organs of the chest are damaged without rib fractures. The ribs of the elderly are decalcified and fragile, and sometimes fractures may occur due to minor injuries or even forceful coughing or sneezing. Rib fractures are generally caused by external violence. When direct violence acts on the chest, rib fractures often occur at the impact site, and the fracture ends break inward, causing damage to the internal organs of the chest.

When indirect violence acts on the chest, such as when the chest is squeezed, rib fractures occur at locations other than the point of violence, with the fracture ends facing outward, which can easily damage the soft tissue of the chest wall and cause chest hematoma.

Open fractures are more common in direct injuries caused by firearms or sharp objects. In addition, when fractures occur on the basis of pathological changes in the ribs such as osteoporosis, osteomalacia, or primary and metastatic rib tumors, they are called pathological rib fractures.

1. Treatment of single closed rib fracture

Because the two ends of the fracture are supported by the upper and lower ribs and intercostal muscles, there is little dislocation and movement, and they can usually heal automatically. The main purpose of fixing the thorax is to reduce the movement of the fracture ends and relieve pain. The methods include: fixation with wide adhesive strips, fixation with multi-strapped chest cloth or fixation with elastic chest strap. The treatment principles for simple rib fractures are pain relief, immobilization and prevention of lung infection. Analgesics can be taken orally or injected intramuscularly when necessary.

2. Treatment of flail chest

Correct abnormal respiratory movements, resist shock, prevent and treat infection, and deal with combined injuries. When the chest wall softening is small or located on the back, abnormal respiratory movements may not be obvious or severe, and local padding and pressure bandaging can be used. However, when the floating amplitude reaches more than 3 cm, it can cause serious respiratory and circulatory dysfunction. When it exceeds 5 cm or it is bilateral flail chest syndrome, it can quickly lead to death and must be treated urgently.

The above is what professionals have introduced to us about the severity of rib fractures. We should pay attention to our own safety during exercise and try to avoid accidents of rib fractures. Because ribs are important tissues that protect the human body, we cannot let them be injured. Once injured, we must go to the hospital for treatment immediately to protect ourselves.