Surgical Stabilization of Rib Fractures: A Review of the Indications, Technique, and Outcomes
Authors: Raffa Taylor , Chang Parker , Sarani Babak , Kartiko Susan 
Published: December 2023

Rib Fractures are a common injury in trauma patients and affect 10% of all injured patients who require admission to the hospital. Currently, there is no consensus on the most efficacious treatment for rib fractures with the debate comparing non-surgical versus surgical management. Medical management of rib fractures often requires admission to the intensive care unit with a focus on pain control to allow good pulmonary hygiene. Pain control involved a multimodal approach with current techniques including epidural anesthesia and paravertebral blocks. Although many patients recover with medical management alone, some patients may benefit from surgical stabilization of rib fractures as a means of augmenting pain control. Flail chest is the most evidence-based indication for surgical stabilization of rib fractures SSRF with many studies showing decreased days on mechanical ventilation, risk of pneumonia, intensive care unit length of stay, and hospital length of stay. Additionally, in patients with non-flail chest and ventilator dependent respiratory failure, surgical stabilization of rib fractures may provide an advantage over medical management for pain control. There are relatively few contraindications and complications associated with surgical stabilization of rib fractures. Therefore, with proper patient selection, surgical stabilization of rib fractures can improve outcomes in patients with rib fractures. Medical management with or without surgical intervention requires a multidisciplinary approach to prevent adverse clinical outcomes. Keywords: Surgical stabilization of rib fractures, rib plating, rib fracture, flail chest, non-flail chest Article Details How to Cite RAFFA, Taylor et al. Surgical Stabilization of Rib Fractures: A Review of the Indications, Technique, and Outcomes. Medical Research Archives, [S.l.], v. 11, n. 11, nov. 2023. ISSN 2375-1924. Available at: <https://esmed.org/MRA/mra/article/view/4694>. 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