|
|||||
|
|
Costal cartilage fracture: A commonly missed thoracic injury in trauma patients |
|
| Authors: | Moussa Meteb Bader Abou Shaar Ghassan Awad El-Karim Youssef Almalki |
| Affiliation: | aThe Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, 501 Smyth Rd, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8L6, Canada;bAlfaisal University, College of Medicine, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia;cUniversity of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine, Toronto, ON, Canada;dDepartment of Diagnostic Imaging, Bluewater Health, Sarnia ON, Canada |
| Abstract: | In this report, we describe a case of a 43-year-old male who sustained a displaced mid chondral costal cartilage fracture along with multiple ipsilateral rib fractures following a jet ski collision. Costal cartilage fractures (CC) are commonly missed on imaging evaluation, and accordingly underreported in the literature. High-energy blunt chest trauma represents the most common mechanism for CC injuries. Computed Tomography (CT) is the modality of choice to diagnose CC fractures along with the associated cardiopulmonary and abdominal injuries in polytrauma patients. There is currently no consensus with respect to the management of CC fractures. Further research is required to explore the long-term impact of CC fractures on thoracic cage stability. |
| Keywords: | Costal Cartilage Fracture Costochondral Injury Blunt Chest Trauma Rib Injury Emergency Radiology |