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Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Pseudofracture: An Acute Peripheral Tissue Trauma Model
Published on: April 18, 2011
Fracture of the first rib as a consequence of pertussis infection
1Sydney University Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children, Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia.
Abstract:
We report the first described case of a first rib fracture secondary to pertussis infection. An 11-year-old boy presented with sudden onset of severe right-sided pleuritic chest pain on a background of a 6 week history of a coughing illness and considerable weight loss. Pertussis was clinically suspected and proven on serology. A cause for the severe pain was initially difficult to confirm, causing some concern regarding possible underlying pathology, but was later demonstrated to be due to a first rib fracture. The anatomy of the first rib, and the biomechanical forces placed upon it that are exacerbated during a coughing illness are described.
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