Rib Fractures With Concomitant Spinal Fractures May Benefit From Surgical Stabilization

Area of Science:

• Trauma Surgery
• Orthopedic Surgery
• Critical Care Medicine

Background:

• Surgical stabilization of rib fractures offers benefits for complex thoracic injuries.
• Data on patients with combined thoracic cage and spinal injuries undergoing surgical fixation is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the outcomes of surgical fixation (FIX) versus non-fixation (NFIX) in adult patients with rib fractures, particularly those with concomitant spinal fractures.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of adult patients with rib injuries from 2015 to 2019.
• Data sourced from the National Trauma Data Bank.
• Comparison of outcomes between surgical fixation and non-fixation groups, with stratification for spinal fracture presence.

Main Results:

• Mortality decreased by 6.1% in the FIX group for rib fractures with spinal fractures compared to NFIX.
• Mortality decreased by 2.2% in the FIX group for rib fractures without spinal fractures compared to NFIX.
• Patients with rib fractures and concomitant spinal fractures were more likely to receive rib fixation; this group experienced fewer ventilator days, shorter ICU and hospital length of stay (LOS), and decreased mortality.

Conclusions:

• Surgical fixation of rib fractures in patients with concomitant spinal fractures is associated with improved outcomes.
• Rib fracture fixation in this population leads to reduced mortality, shorter hospitalizations, and decreased ventilator dependence.
• Further research should explore optimal surgical strategies for combined thoracic and spinal injuries.