Comparative evaluation of external chest wall fixator treatment effectiveness in patients with rib fractures

External chest wall fixators may provide a new approach as part of multimodal treatment. This study aimed to investigate the effect of external chest wall fixator on patients' pain level, complication development and hospital stay in patients with rib fractures.

Patients who were admitted due to trauma and had serial rib fractures between December 2020 and December 2021 were evaluated. There were 14 patients in case group and 20 in control group. External chest wall fixator was applied to the case group in addition to standard treatment. Pain levels, development of complications and duration of hospitalization were recorded.

Pain levels in first and third months were lower in case group than control group. Mean pain levels in the first month were 1.79 (SD 0.80) in case group and 2.85 (SD 1.53) in control group, in the third-month were 0.43 (SD 0.64) in case group and 1.34 (SD 1.59) in control group, and the difference was significant (p = 0.022 and 0.032, respectively). Complications were more common in patients with more rib fractures (p = 0.002). While complications developed in 2 patients in the case group and 8 patients in the control group, the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.216). Duration of hospital stay was shorter in the case group and the difference was significant (2.7 (SD 0.9) days versus 2.0 (SD 0.7) days, p = 0.049).

It has been shown in our study that external fixator can be an effective method in reducing patients' pain and hospital stay. This method can be included as part of multimodal treatment in patients with rib fractures.