J Korean Soc Emerg Med.  2005 Oct;16(5):562-565.

The Correlation of Abdominal Organ Injury In Rib Fracture Patients

• Kim JH
• Do BS
• Lee SB
• Jung TE

Abstract

PURPOSE
Rib fracture is a common injury seen in traumatized patients. It can be frequently correlated with concomitant AOI (abdominal organ injury). This study was designed to assess the factors increasing the risk of concomitant AOI. METHOD: We reviewed retrospectively the medical charts of 166 rib-fracture blunt-trauma patients. Data were collected on age, sex, the vectors of injury, the rib-fracture location, the presence of a pneumothorax or a hemothorax, and the presence injury to the abdominal organs. RESULT: The total number of AOI cases correlated with rib fractures was 36 (21.7%). The most frequently injured organ was the liver (13 cases). The probability of AOI increased with the presence of any low-rib fracture. Also, the probability of splenic injury increased with the presence of left-sided rib fracture. There was no difference in the incidence of AOI-correlated pneumo- or hemothorax.
CONCLUSION
Low-rib fracture increases the risk of AOI as were taught traditionally. The most commonly injured organ was the liver. Injury to the spleen was correlated with the location of the fracture, especially the left side.

Keyword

Rib fracture; Abdominal injury

MeSH Terms

Abdominal Injuries
Hemothorax
Humans
Incidence
Liver
Pneumothorax
Retrospective Studies
Rib Fractures*
Ribs*
Spleen