Rib Fracture: Causes, Symptoms, Risk Factors, Diagnosis, Treatment, Prevention and Complications

A broken or fractured rib is one common injury that results from one of the rib cage's bones breaking. The most common causes are hard impacts from driving accidents, falls, and contact sports.

Most fractured ribs are only cracked. Fractures of the ribs are painful. They do not, however, cause the same problems as rib fractures. The major blood arteries, the lungs, and other organs might sustain injuries from the sharp edge of a broken bone.

It usually takes six weeks for broken ribs to heal naturally. For deep breathing to take place and to avoid lung issues such as pneumonia, pain management is crucial.

Causes Of Rib Fracture

The most frequent cause of broken ribs is direct impact, which can happen in a car accident, fall, maltreatment of a child, or contact sports. In addition, repeated contact from activities like rowing and golf, as well as prolonged, forceful coughing, can cause rib ruptures.

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Symptoms Of Rib Fracture

One or more of the following conditions could aggravate an existing broken rib:

• A slow, deep breath.
• Putting pressure on the affected region.
• A bend or twist.

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Risk Factors Of Rib Fracture

A higher risk of rib fracture could result from the following:

• Osteoporosis: The disease that makes bones lose bulk increases the risk of bone fracture.
• Sports: Playing sports involving contact, such as hockey or football, increases the risk of chest injuries.
• Cancerous rib: A fracture could become more likely if cancer-related bone degeneration occurs.

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Diagnosis Of Rib Fracture

During a physical examination, a doctor may softly tap your ribs, listen to your lungs, and observe how your rib cage moves when you breathe.

The imaging tests listed below, at least one of which may help with the diagnosis:

• X-ray: X-rays use very little radiation, so you can see the bones. X-rays, however, might not show a recent break, especially if the bone is only cracked. Collapsed lung disease can also be diagnosed with X-rays.
• CT scan: This often detects fractures that an X-ray would miss. Additionally, CT scans make it easier to spot blood vessels and soft tissue damage.
• MRI: The soft tissues and organs around the ribs can be scanned to look for damage. It can help identify shorter breaks as well.
• Bone scan: When looking for shattered bones or stress fractures, this is helpful. A bone may break as a result of prolonged coughing episodes or other recurring damage. To make a bone scan easier, a small amount of radioactive material is injected into your bloodstream. It is detected by a scanner and builds up within the bones, particularly during the process of bone mending.

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Treatment Of Rib Fracture

Most fractured ribs heal on their own in six weeks or less. Pain relief and the healing process can both be accelerated by reducing activity and applying regular ice to the injured area.

Medication

It's important to relieve pain. Pain that prevents you from breathing deeply can lead to pneumonia. To numb the nerves leading to the ribs, injections may be utilized if oral drugs are found to be insufficient.

Therapy

After the pain subsides, you might try these exercises to help you breathe deeper. Pneumonia is a possible outcome of lung aspiration.

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Prevention Of Rib Fracture

To reduce the possibility of breaking a rib:

• Protect yourself from sports-related injuries: When you are participating in sports, wear protective gear for your protection.
• Reduce the possibility of falls occurring within the house: Make sure all clutter is removed from the floors. Clear up spills right away. Using a rubberized shower. Ensure that your home has enough lighting. Offer backing to stop area rugs and carpets from slipping.
• Strengthen the bones: Strong bones require a diet high in calcium and vitamin D. Get 1,200 mg of calcium and 600 international units of vitamin D daily from your food and supplements.

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Complications Of Rib Fracture

A broken rib can cause damage to blood vessels and internal organs. If you have several broken ribs, the likelihood of this is higher.

Depending on which rib breaks first determines what happens next. A few of the possible problems are:

• Rupture in the body's main artery, the aorta: A break in any one of the top three ribs could result in a sharp end that could pierce a major blood vessel, such as the aorta.
• An injury to the lung: The sharp point of a broken middle rib can puncture a lung and cause it to collapse.
• Broken spleen, liver, or kidneys: The lowest two ribs rarely break because they may move more than the middle and upper ribs. However, the ends of a fractured lower rib can cause serious harm to the kidney, liver, or spleen.

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