What are the causes of rib fractures in men?

Causes

1. Rib fractures are generally caused by external violence. When direct violence acts on the chest, rib fractures often occur at the impact site, with the fracture ends breaking inward and causing damage to the internal organs in the chest.

2. When indirect violence acts on the chest, such as chest compression, rib fractures occur outside the point of violence, and the fracture ends face outward, which can easily damage the soft tissue of the chest wall and cause chest hematoma.

3. Open fractures are more common in direct injuries caused by firearms or sharp weapons. In addition, when fractures occur on the basis of pathological changes in the ribs such as osteoporosis, osteomalacia, or primary and metastatic rib tumors, they are called pathological rib fractures.

Clinical manifestations

1. Local pain is the most obvious symptom of rib fracture, and it worsens with coughing, deep breathing or body rotation. Sometimes the patient can hear or feel the bone friction.

2. Pain and damage to chest stability can limit respiratory mobility, shallow and rapid breathing, and reduced alveolar ventilation. Patients dare not cough and sputum is retained, which can cause obstruction of lower respiratory tract secretions, pulmonary consolidation or atelectasis. This should be paid special attention to in the elderly and weak patients or those with existing lung diseases.

3. When flail chest exists, the negative pressure in the chest cavity increases during inhalation, and the softened part of the chest wall sinks inward; during exhalation, the chest cavity pressure increases, and the damaged chest wall floats and bulges out. This is opposite to the movement of other chest walls and is called "paradoxical respiratory movement". Abnormal respiratory movement can cause an imbalance in chest cavity pressure on both sides, and the diaphragm moves back and forth with breathing, which is called "diaphragmatic oscillation", affecting blood return and causing circulatory dysfunction. It is one of the important factors leading to and aggravating shock.