Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40299046›Full record

Observational studyEuropean journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society2025

Long-term outcomes after removal of rib stabilization hardware in patients with blunt chest trauma.

Maria B Svec, Helga Bachmann, Aljaz Hojski, Eric F Macharia-Nimietz, Sandrine V C Dackam, Didier Lardinois

Registry-linked trialAbstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06003595 (Long-term Outcome After Removal of Rib Stabilization Hardware in Patients With Blunt Chest Trauma), which is not on this map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT06003595 completednot on this map

Long-term Outcome After Removal of Rib Stabilization Hardware in Patients With Blunt Chest Trauma

TypeobservationalSponsorUniversity Hospital, Basel, SwitzerlandRan2023 to 2024Enrolled28ConditionsRib FracturesArmsData collection on patient reported long-term outcome of SSRF hardware removal
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Maria B SvecDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, University Hospital Basel, Spitalstrasse 21, Basel, 4031, Switzerland.
Helga BachmannDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, University Hospital Basel, Spitalstrasse 21, Basel, 4031, Switzerland.
Aljaz HojskiDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, University Hospital Basel, Spitalstrasse 21, Basel, 4031, Switzerland.
Eric F Macharia-NimietzDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, University Hospital Basel, Spitalstrasse 21, Basel, 4031, Switzerland.
Sandrine V C DackamDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, University Hospital Basel, Spitalstrasse 21, Basel, 4031, Switzerland.
Didier LardinoisDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, University Hospital Basel, Spitalstrasse 21, Basel, 4031, Switzerland. didier.lardinois@usb.ch.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThe study aim was to investigate the long-term outcomes after hardware removal (HR) in patients with blunt chest trauma. We hypothesized that HR might be beneficial in indicated patients to improve patient health.

methodsWe performed a retrospective single-center study between 2017 and 2023. Descriptive statistics were used for the analysis. One study-specific follow-up visit was conducted, 28 months (range 3-72) after HR. The study-specific health survey used, consisted of four functional dimensions (mobility, self-care, usual activities, mental health) and two symptom dimensions (thoracic pain, chest tightness) which were rated on a numerical scale and compared to the status before HR in four categories (much better to worse).

resultsOf the 28 patients, the average age was 59 years (range 29-83), 12 fractures (1-39) were fixed, and 4 implants (1-11) were used. The indications for HR were persistent thoracic pain (36%), discomfort (25%), chest tightness (21%), hardware dislocation (11%) and hardware infection (7%). HR was performed 18 months (5 days-104 months) after surgery for trauma. Patients with chest tightness and infection exhibited the greatest improvement in symptoms (75%), followed by those with hardware dislocation (61%). The improvement rate in the other 2 groups was 58%. All patients who experienced chest tightness, hardware dislocation and infection were completely satisfied and would undergo HR again.

conclusionHR is safe and feasible, resulting in significant symptom relief and improvement in health status in approximately two-thirds of patients. In indicated patients, HR might be performed earlier and more liberally if symptoms are disabling. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT06003595 registered on July 18, 2023.

Indexed as

Device RemovalFracture Fixation, InternalRib FracturesThoracic InjuriesWounds, NonpenetratingAdultAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesTreatment OutcomeBlunt chest traumaHardware removalHealth statusLong-term outcome

Identifiers

PMID40299046
PMCPMC12040985

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.