Fracture of the Costal Cartilage: Presentation, Diagnosis, and Management

Publication date: Available online 22 October 2018Source: The Annals of Thoracic SurgeryAuthor(s): Grace E. Sollender, Thomas W. White, Fredric M. PieracciAbstractA 52-year-old woman sustained a fracture of the left 7th costal cartilage after a ski injury. She presented complaining of painful clicking over the area. Initial imaging studies were negative for fracture; however, 3-D reconstruction of a chest CT, formatted to costal cartilage, revealed the fracture. She was offered and underwent surgical fixation of the fracture with a plate and four screws using a bi-axial, convergent construct. Postoperatively, her symptoms resolved. In this case report, we review the rationale for fixation of costal cartilage, including a summary of previous literature pertaining to this relatively rare thoracic injury.
Source: The Annals of Thoracic Surgery - Category: Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery Source Type: research