ArticleEuropean journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society2022
Long-term quality of life and functional outcome after rib fracture fixation.
Article in European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 26 citations in OpenAlex.
- Epidemiology of combined clavicle and rib fractures: a systematic review.European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society · 2022Pooled it
- Surgical stabilization of rib fractures in adults without flail chest: a scoping review of pain, quality of life, and clinical outcomes.Journal of thoracic disease · 2026Review
- The impact of injury severity and age on short-and long-term mortality and hospital length of stay after surgical stabilisation of rib fractures (SSRF): a German population-based propensity-score matched investigation.World journal of emergency surgery : WJES · 2026Article
- Long-term quality of life and chronic pain after surgical vs. non-operative treatment of rib fractures: systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in surgery · 2026Review
- Impact of inflammatory biomarkers and surgical interventions on one-month recovery after rib fractures: A propensity-matched cohort study.Surgery open science · 2025Review
- Surgical stabilization of posterior rib fractures involving the costotransverse joint.European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society · 2025Observational
- Costal fracture assessment for relief and enhancement of quality of life-CARE study.European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society · 2025Observational
- Treatment of traumatic rib fractures: an overview of current evidence and future perspectives.Journal of thoracic disease · 2024Review
- Associations Between Psychiatric Diagnoses on Length of Stay and Mortality After Rib Fracture: A Retrospective Analysis.The Journal of surgical research · 2023Article
- Clinical characteristics of patients with the hardware failure after surgical stabilization of rib fractures in Korea: a case series.Journal of trauma and injury · 2023Article
- Outcomes after fixation of rib fractures sustained during cardiopulmonary resuscitation: A retrospective single center analysis.Frontiers in surgery · 2023Article
- Antibiotic cement-coated plate is a viable and efficient technique for the definitive management of metaphyseal septic nonunions of the femur and tibia.Revista do Colegio Brasileiro de Cirurgioes · 2023Article
- What is the optimal timing to perform surgical stabilization of rib fractures?Journal of thoracic disease · 2021Review
- No clinical advantage of locking over nonlocking plate fixation of symphyseal disruptions.Revista do Colegio Brasileiro de Cirurgioes · 2021Article
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Authors and funding
11 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeThe primary aim of this study was to assess the long-term quality of life and functional outcome after rib fracture fixation for patients with multiple rib fractures or flail chest. Secondarily, this study sought to identify risk factors associated with the quality of life.
methodsA retrospective cohort study with a follow-up by questionnaire was performed at a level-1 trauma center in Switzerland. All adult patients with three or more rib fractures treated with rib fixation between 2010 and 2018 were eligible for inclusion. All outcomes were independently assessed for patients with multiple rib fractures and patients with a flail chest. The outcome measures were quality of life, level of dyspnea, return to work, implant irritation, and implant removal after a minimum of 12 months of follow-up. Quality of life was assessed using the EuroQol five-dimensional five-level questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L) and level of dyspnea was determined with the modified Medical Research Council dyspnea (mMRC) scale.
resultsThe survey was completed by 74 out of 102 patients (73%) at a median follow-up of 26 months (IQR 15-37). The median EQ-5D utility index score was 0.91 (0.89-1.0), which was equivalent to the reference population (0.902, p = 0.523). The vast majority of patients experienced 'no problems' or 'slight problems' in any of the EQ-5D-5L dimensions. The complication rate associated with rib fracture fixation was low, implant-related irritation was the most common long-term sequela and occurred in 31% of patients. In multivariable regression analyses, total length of stay on the intensive care unit (ICU-LOS) was independently associated with a worse quality of life.
conclusionsPatients who underwent rib fracture fixation for multiple rib fractures or flail chest after severe chest trauma experienced a good quality of life at least 1 year after surgery. A longer ICU-LOS was independently associated with impaired quality of life. In addition, there were no significant differences in the long-term quality of life and functional outcome between patients with multiple rib fractures and a flail chest. Implant-related irritation was the most important long-term sequela and occurred in one-third of patients.
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