The 12 ribs on each side of your chest may be bruised, strained, broken, or separated. Direct blows to the ribs may bruise or break the ribs or injure the rib cartilage. The ribs may tear away from the cartilage that attaches them to the breastbone. This tearing away from the cartilage is called a costochondral separation. Rib injuries usually result from a direct blow to the chest wall.
Breaks usually occur in the curved portion of the outer part of the rib cage.
A costochondral separation may occur from trauma, when you land hard on your feet, or even when you cough or sneeze violently. A rib injury causes pain and tenderness over the place of injury. You may have pain when you breathe, move, laugh, or cough. Your health care provider will review your symptoms, examine your rib cage, and listen to your lungs. He or she may order a chest x-ray to look for rib damage, lung damage, or bleeding around the lungs.