For the purpose of evaluation of clinical characteristics in multiple rib fracture due to accident, 24 cases treated by surgical rib fixation using Judet's strut for multiple rib fracture and flail chestduring the period from June 1993 to October
1994
were reviewed.
There were 17 males and 7 females. They ranged in age from 19 years old to 56 years old. The causes of rib fracture were traffic accident in 18 cases, fall down in 3 cases, compression in 2 cases stab wound in 1 case. The number of rib fracture
were
five in 7 cases, six in 5 cases, four in 5 cases, three in 3 cases, Associated intrathoracic injuries were hemopneumothorax in 12 cases, hemothorax in 10 cases, lung laceration or hemorrhagic contusion in 7 cases. Associated extrathoracic
injuries
were
abdominal injuries in 2q cases, orthopedic problem in 7 cases, head trauma in 4 cases. The most common fractured site was posterolateral portion of the ribs. The causes for operation were flail chest, severe rib displacement and pain, hemothorax
or
hemopneumothorax with continuous air leakage and stab wound. There were 6 postoperative complications ; one with hydrothorax, two with fibrothorax, two with wound infection and one case of death due to multiful organ failure.
Postoperatively, all patients became comfortable and complained less painful. Twenty patients restored spontaneous breathing without ventilator support, three patients were ventilated during a day and one patient expired after 2 days. There were
no
morbidity and mortality related to operation.
(Korean J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1995;28:847-50)
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