Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40392360›Full record

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

Comparison of long-term outcome between muscle sparing and non-muscle sparing surgical techniques in rib plating.

Erik Öberg Westin, Monika Fagevik Olsén, Eva-Corina Caragounis

Registry-linked trialAbstract readComparative StudyObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
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 NCT04710602 (A Prospective Follow-up of Patients Treated With Muscle Sparing, Minimally Invasive Open Surgical Technique for Unstable Chest Wall After Trauma), which is not on this map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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.

NCT04710602 completednot on this map

A Prospective Follow-up of Patients Treated With Muscle Sparing, Minimally Invasive Open Surgical Technique for Unstable Chest Wall After Trauma

TypeobservationalSponsorSahlgrenska University HospitalRan2021 to 2023Enrolled100ConditionsRib, Fracture, Multiple, With Flail ChestArmsMinimally invasive surgical fixation of unstable rib cage, Large incision surgical fixation of unstable rib cage.
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. From rib fixation to dynamic chest wall reconstruction: historical lessons for modern surgical stabilization of rib fractures.European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society · 2026
    Review
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

3 authors.

Erik Öberg WestinDepartment of Surgery, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Per Dubbsgatan 15, 413 45, Gothenburg, SE, Sweden. erik.oberg.westin@gu.se.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7403-6685
Monika Fagevik OlsénDepartment of Surgery, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Per Dubbsgatan 15, 413 45, Gothenburg, SE, Sweden.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0207-4105
Eva-Corina CaragounisDepartment of Surgery, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Per Dubbsgatan 15, 413 45, Gothenburg, SE, Sweden.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5637-2637

Funding

Göteborgs Läkaresällskap GLS-934998
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeSurgical stabilization of rib fractures is an internationally established method for treating traumatic chest wall injuries. Few studies have compared the various surgical methods used. The aim of this study was to examine how different surgical methods affect long-term outcomes.

methodThis is a study of prospectively included patients with flail chest undergoing muscle-sparing chest wall surgery (n = 40) who were compared to historical controls who underwent conventional surgery with non-muscle-sparing incisions and thoracotomy (n = 38). The cohorts differed regarding injury severity, smoking habits and number of ribs operated. This was adjusted for using multiple linear regression. The primary endpoint was lung function, secondary endpoints were respiratory muscle strength, respiratory movement, physical function, physical activity, and quality of life (QoL) after six and 12 months.

resultsSeventy-eight patients (67.9% men and 32.1% women) with a mean age of 63.6 ± 14.0 years were included. The predicted forced vital capacity (FVC) was 92.3 ± 14.3% vs. 85.0 ± 15.3% after 12 months (p = 0.037) in the muscle-sparing and conventional surgery cohorts, respectively. Shoulder movement (Boström Index 59 vs. 56, p = 0.007) and lateral flexion (16.1 vs. 11.4 cm, p = 0.004) were significantly better in the muscle-sparing surgery patients than the conventional surgery patients after one year. No significant differences were found in respiratory muscle strength, respiratory movement, physical activity, or QoL.

conclusionPatients who undergo muscle-sparing surgery for chest wall injury have better long-term lung function, shoulder movement, and thoracic movement than patients who undergo conventional surgery. No difference was found between the groups concerning self-reported outcome. Registered in www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov at 2020-12-18 with the ID NCT04710602.

Indexed as

Bone PlatesFlail ChestFracture Fixation, InternalRib FracturesAgedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedMuscle StrengthProspective StudiesQuality of LifeRespiratory MusclesThoracotomyTreatment OutcomeChest wall injuryLong-term outcomeMuscle-sparingSSRFSurgical technique

Identifiers

PMID40392360
PMCPMC12092516

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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.