Sonographic diagnosis of a radiographically occult displaced fracture of a costal cartilage |
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| Authors: | Chandra Bortolotto MD Egisto Federici MD Ferdinando Draghi MD Stefano Bianchi MD |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Radiology Institute‐‐University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy;2. Riattiva, Studio Fisiokinesiterapico, Lavagna, Italy;3. CIM SA, Cabinet Imagerie Médicale, Geneva, Switzerland |
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| Abstract: | We report the case of a 22‐year‐old athlete who sustained a blunt thoracic trauma to the right chest causing a costal cartilage fracture. Plain radiographs revealed no abnormalities while sonographic (US) examination performed a week later because of persistent pain led to the diagnosis of a displaced fracture of the right tenth costal cartilage. A follow‐up US examination confirmed the healing of the fracture and allowed the patient to return to competitive sport activity. We recommend the use of US in patients with persisting pain after thoracic trauma with negative plain radiographs of the ribs to rule out radiographically occult costal cartilage fractures. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 45 :605–607, 2017 |
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| Keywords: | musculoskeletal ultrasound costal cartilages chest trauma ribs |
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