ArticleCureus2026
Beyond 72 Hours: A Retrospective Evaluation of Factors Associated With Delayed Surgical Stabilization of Rib Fractures.
Article in Cureus, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundSurgical stabilization of rib fractures (SSRF) is recognized as a key intervention in reducing morbidity among patients with multiple displaced rib fractures or flail chest. Early SSRF, typically within 72 hours of admission, has been associated with improved outcomes. The factors contributing to delayed stabilization, defined as 72 hours or greater following admission, remain unclear.
methodsA retrospective cohort study was performed, evaluating 492 trauma patients who underwent SSRF at a level II trauma center. Patient demographics, injury characteristics, and associated injuries were analyzed to identify factors associated with delayed SSRF. Groups were defined as early (≤72 hours) and delayed (>72 hours). Regression analysis was used to identify independent predictors of delay. Correlations between time to operation and hospital outcomes were evaluated. A p-value of <0.05 was considered significant.
resultsOf 492 patients, the median age was 66 years, and 301 (61%) were male; 122 (24.8%) patients underwent SSRF beyond 72 hours from admission. On univariate analysis, there was no difference in age, number of rib fractures, presence of flail chest, or anticoagulation status between groups. Delayed intervention was associated with higher ISS (19 vs 15, p<0.001), lower admission GCS (p<0.001), and need for craniotomy (p=0.002). On multivariate analysis, only injury severity score (ISS) independently predicted surgical delay (p=0.002, CI 1.01-1.07). Delayed SSRF correlated with longer hospital stay (p<0.001) but not ICU stay (p=0.876). Inpatient mortality did not differ significantly between early and delayed groups (1.6% vs. 4.1%, p=0.110).
conclusionsFollowing a retrospective review of nearly 500 patients undergoing SSRF for severe flail and non-flail chest wall injury at a single institution, the ISS was found to be associated with delayed intervention beyond 72 hours of admission. Despite the known potential for increased risk of delayed chest wall stabilization, ICU stay, and inpatient mortality were found to be similar between early and delayed SSRF.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
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.