ArticleTrauma surgery & acute care open2025
Is fixation of a single end of flail segment rib fractures enough?
Article in Trauma surgery & acute care open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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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.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- 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 · 2026Review
- Different outcomes after surgical stabilization of one versus both fractures in patients with flail chest.Trauma surgery & acute care open · 2025Article
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7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Segmental rib fractures in blunt thoracic trauma present with increased morbidity and mortality with an association of increased pulmonary insult and concomitant injuries. There is a paucity within the literature regarding the necessity of fixation of one or both segments of rib fractures in a flail chest. This study aimed to analyze surgical rib fixation and assess outcomes for non-fixed fractured rib ends in segmental rib fractures. Methods: This is a retrospective review of 125 patients who underwent open reduction internal fixation of flail segmental rib fractures at our urban Level 1 trauma center. Initial plain films and CT were compared with follow-up plain film imaging at 3 months to assess radiographic outcomes, fracture healing, fixation failure, or residual deformity. Clinical outcomes such as length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay, length of ventilatory support, associated pneumonia, duration until chest tube removal, and need for additional rib surgery were analyzed. Results: Fixation of a single end of segmental rib fractures and flail segments was associated with decreased incidence of fracture union at 3 months postoperatively (43/55 vs 65/70, respectively; p=0.018) but failed to show any difference in fracture collapse (50/55 vs 67/70, respectively; p=0.223). There were no differences between postoperative ICU length of stay (4.18±5.54 vs 4.62±4.48 days, respectively; p=0.690), postoperative ventilatory status (29/55 vs 38/70, respectively; p=0.840), duration of ventilatory support (3.52±4.69 vs 4.34±5.87, respectively; p=0.430), or associated pneumonia (7/55 vs 8/70, respectively; p=0.770). Conclusions: These data support that fixation of both sides of flail segment rib fractures results in improved rib fracture union at 3 months postoperatively. However, fixation of both sides of flail segments does not appear to result in any difference in fracture collapse or clinical perioperative outcomes. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level III.
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