Non-operative vs. operative treatment for multiple rib fractures after blunt thoracic trauma: a multicenter prospective cohort study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Patients with multiple rib fractures without a clinical flail chest are increasingly being treated with rib fixation; however, high-quality evidence to support this development is lacking.

Methods

We conducted a prospective multicenter observational study comparing rib fixation to non-operative treatment in all patients aged 18 years and older with computed tomography confirmed multiple rib fractures without a clinical flail chest. Three centers performed rib fixation as standard of care. For adequate comparison, the other three centers performed only non-operative treatment. As such clinical equipoise formed the basis for the comparison in this study. Patients were matched using propensity score matching.

Results

In total 927 patients with multiple rib fra

SUBMITTER: Hoepelman RJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9925506 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature