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Background The accepted classification for multiple rib fractures is binary: flail chest or not. There is a wide spectrum of morphology with subsequent variation in the impact on chest wall mechanics and clinical outcomes. As the practice of surgical stabilisation of rib fractures evolves, there is a need for a better taxonomy. The aim of this study was to create a data-driven radiological classification system for multiple rib fractures, prognostic of both complications and surgical stabilisation of rib fracture. Methods The radiological pattern of injury was assessed for cases undergoing surgical stabilisation of rib fracture (n = 48) over a five-year period and a consecutive sample of non-operative controls (n = 48). Every rib fracture (n = 1032) was assessed on CT scans for location, displacement and comminution. An iterative classification system was developed and tested for inter-observer agreement and outcome prediction. Results The fractures occurred in a ‘series’ (≥3 consecutive ribs at a similar location) in 72% of cases: these were more likely to be displaced (p Conclusions The Sheffield Multiple Rib Fracture Classification derived categories of short/long series, and short/long flail chest, with sub-division according to the presence of displacement. It was prognostic for clinical outcomes and of surgical fixation. It may facilitate communication, comparison of outcomes and selection for management protocols.

Surgical stabilization of rib fractures (SSRF) has been shown to decrease morbidity and mortality in patients with multiple rib fractures. This has led to a concomitant increase in the procedure, but the complications are just now being described in the literature. The purpose of this review is to focus on the current understanding of hardware failure after rib fixation. A recent study from the Chest Wall Injury Society (CWIS) found that hardware failure is relatively rare and often asymptomatic thus not requiring routine postoperative imaging or reoperation. When hardware failures occur, they tend to occur on the lateral and posterolateral columns. Patients who undergo fixation for chronic fractures may be at higher risk for complications. Hardware failure is a rare complication of SSRF and rarely requires reoperation. Postoperative imaging should be based on symptoms.

Rib fractures are a serious problem in thoracic trauma resulting in high morbidity and mortality. Surgical stabilization in the management of rib fractures is gaining more popularity and recognition as outcomes continue to show positive results, however, there is still hesitancy among the trauma community to recommend this intervention. Although there still remains questions as to which patients to provide surgical stabilization to in the non-flail rib fracture patient population, surgical stabilization of rib fractures have been shown to be extremely beneficial in those patients with flail chest and should be strongly considered in this patient population, especially if they require ventilatory support. Here we present a 62-year-old female with severe chest wall deformity from 21 rib fractures after being trampled by a bull. This included a flail segment and a severely angulated 11th rib fracture piercing through the lung into the retroperitoneum. Furthermore, we also introduce a new technique for stabilization of rib fractures that are more posterior. Given the fact we surgically intervened early in our patient with severe chest wall trauma, she had a very favorable outcome, allowing her to be discharged from the hospital in a timely fashion with minimal overall morbidity. Keywords: Rib fractures, Flail chest, Surgical stabilization, Rib fixation, Chest wall deformity

Rib fractures are a common and highly morbid finding in patients with blunt chest trauma. Over the past decade, a renewed interest in (and instrumentation for) rib fixation in this cohort has occurred. Stabilization of the chest wall in this setting, particularly when a flail segment is present, is associated with significant reductions in the rates of respiratory failure, pneumonia, ICU stay, and mortality. Thoracic surgeons should remain actively involved in this evolving area of our specialty to further optimize patient outcomes.

Background Rib fractures are a common consequence of traumatic injury and can result in significant debilitation. Rib fixation offers fracture stabilization, resulting in improved outcomes and decreased pulmonary complications, especially in high-risk groups such as those with flail segments. However, commercial rib fixation has only recently become clinically prevalent, and we hypothesize that significant variability exists in its utilization based on injury pattern and trauma center. Methods The Pennsylvania Trauma System Foundation database was queried for all multiple rib fracture patients occurring statewide in 2016 and 2017. Demographics including the presence of flail and the occurrence of rib fixation was abstracted. Outcomes were compared between the fixation group and all other rib fracture patients. Deidentified treating trauma center was used to elicit center-level disparities. Results During the study period, there were 12,910 patients with multiple rib fractures, of which 135 had flail segments. 57 patients underwent rib fixation, and 10 of which had a flail segment. Compared with the nonoperative cohort, those who underwent rib fixation were younger (52.5 versus 61.5, P = 0.0009), similar in gender (68% versus 62% male, P = 0.373), and race (80% versus 86% White, P = 0.239). The rib fixation group had higher Injury Severity Scores (19.4 versus 15.4 P = 0.0011). The timing of rib fixation was most frequent within 1 wk of injury but extended out through 3 wk; the occurrence of pulmonary complications had a similar distribution. The frequency of rib fixation rates within trauma centers was not associated with rib fracture patient volume, and 37.1% of multiple rib fracture patients were cared for at centers that did not perform rib fixation. Conclusions Rib fixation is infrequently used at trauma centers in Pennsylvania. It is used more frequently in nonflail injuries, and its use may be associated with the occurrence of pulmonary complications. Significant center-level variation exists in rib fixation rates among multiple fractured patients. A significant number of patients are cared for at centers that do not perform rib fixation. Further research is needed to illicit better-defined indications for operative fixation, and opportunities exist to further the penetrance of this practice to all trauma centers.

In high-risk or inoperable patients, implantation of MitraClip for treatment of severe symptomatic mitral regurgitation (MR) from central (A2/P2 pathology, EVEREST patient) is effective in reducing symptoms and improving functional class. Extending the use of MitraClip to the non-EVEREST patient is of considerable interest. MitraClip implantation for wide flail segments and non-central MR is technically more challenging but represents an important and highly prevalent subset of patients. We present a case of an 82-year-old male referred to our institution for medically refractory primary MR. Trans-esophageal echocardiogram demonstrated severe (4+) MR, annular dilatation, P3 > P2 mitral valve prolapse, malcoaptation, and wide flail gaps and widths. The patient's age, frailty, chronic kidney disease, and mild cognitive impairment rendered him a candidate for MitraClip therapy. Our target area, the areas of maximum flail (A3/P3), proved too wide for grasping. Hence, the first clip was deployed medial to the target area. Subsequent deployment, in a sequential fashion (“zipper technique”), was not technically feasible due to persistent instability of the target area. Consideration was given to an alternative approach by “anchoring” our target area where the 2nd and 3rd clips were deployed lateral to the A3/P3 segment in efforts to “anchor” the maximum flail segment. This maneuver allowed final clip deployment into a more stable target area. Subsequent imaging demonstrated reduction in MR from 4+ to 1+ with preservation of a normal transmitral gradient. We report the first successful US case of four MitraClip implantation for the treatment of severe primary MR by “anchoring” flail segments. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A 44-year-old was admitted to the emergency room following a MVA. He had extensive crush injuries, bilateral flail chest, unstable traumatic spine fractures of T10 and T11, as well as other injuries. He had been a smoker and was treated for hypertension. He was classified as an ASA 2 E. His BMI was 28.

To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies comparing operative to nonoperative therapy in adult FC patients. Outcomes were duration of mechanical ventilation (DMV), intensive care unit length of stay (ICULOS), hospital length of stay (HLOS), mortality, incidence of pneumonia, and tracheostomy.Flail chest (FC) results in paradoxical chest wall movement, altered respiratory mechanics, and frequent respiratory failure. Despite advances in ventilatory management, FC remains associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Operative fixation of the flail segment has been advocated as an adjunct to supportive care, but no definitive clinical trial exists to delineate the role of surgery.A comprehensive search of 5 electronic databases was performed to identify randomized controlled trials and observational studies (cohort or case-control). Pooled effect size (ES) or relative risk (RR) was calculated using a fixed or random effects model, as appropriate.Nine studies with a total of 538 patients met inclusion criteria. Compared with control treatment, operative management of FC was associated with shorter DMV [pooled ES: -4.52 days; 95% confidence interval (CI): -5.54 to -3.50], ICULOS (-3.40 days; 95% CI: -6.01 to -0.79), HLOS (-3.82 days; 95% CI: -7.12 to -0.54), and decreased mortality (pooled RR: 0.44; 95% CI: 0.28-0.69), pneumonia (0.45; 95% CI: 0.30-0.69), and tracheostomy (0.25; 95% CI: 0.13-0.47).As compared with nonoperative therapy, operative fixation of FC is associated with reductions in DMV, LOS, mortality, and complications associated with prolonged MV. These findings support the need for an adequately powered clinical study to further define the role of this intervention.

Two patients with unstable thoracic spine and flail segment rib fractures initially failed prone positioning on a Jackson spinal table used for posterior spinal instrumentation and fusion surgery. Both patients experienced rapid hemodynamic collapse. We developed a solution using the anterior portions of a thoracolumbosacral orthosis brace as chest supports to use during prone positioning, allowing both patients to undergo uncomplicated posterior spinal instrumentation and fusion surgeries with greater hemodynamic stability.

There are no absolute indications for operative repair of a flail chest (FC) injury. Results from three recent randomized controlled trials, a meta-analysis, as well as observational and retrospective studies have been reviewed to determine the most appropriate indications for surgical fixation, as well as the accepted contraindications to operative repair, but many of these conclusions are based on low-quality data and expert opinion. Features that would influence the appropriateness of operative repair include location of the flail segment, degree of respiratory compromise, associated injuries, and the patient’s recovery trajectory.

In this chapter of the MMCTS, Malaisrie and coworkers describe a very interesting case of severe post-traumatic tricuspid regurgitation which was successfully corrected by resecting a flail segment of the anterior leaflet of the tricuspid valve w1x. A tricuspid annuloplasty ring (Edwards MC3) was used to treat the associated annular dilatation and stabilize the repair. No residual tricuspid regurgitation was present at the trans-esophageal exam performed before leaving the operating room. Although long-term echocardiographic follow-up is mandatory to confirm the durability of the repair, the Authors have to be congratulated for the excellent early result obtained in this patient in whom, in addition, they used a minimally invasive approach rather than a standard median sternotomy. Surgical correction of traumatic tricuspid regurgitation can be unpredictable and challenging. At the time of surgery it is not unusual to find multiple and different lesions involving the leaflets and the subvalvular apparatus, together with some degree of right ventricular dilatation and dysfunction. The leaflet resection technique, adopted in this case, was certainly a reasonable solution considering that the lesion encountered was represented by an isolated flail of the anterior leaflet. Nevertheless, in the presence of severe right ventricular dilatation, the application of this method can lead to significant residual regurgitation. In fact, in longstanding undiagnosed tricuspid insufficiency, the segmental flail initially caused by the blunt chest trauma is gradually followed by the development of tethering defects of the remaining portions of the valve due to the progressive enlargement of the right ventricular chamber. When this stage has been reached, resection of the flailing segment

The presence of a hook-like configuration at the site of rib fracture reflects significant rotational displacement. Such displacement can occur only as the result of a further fracture at another site within the same rib and is therefore indicative of a flail segment injury even if a second fracture site is not clearly identified. This appearance is illustrated and termed the ‘costal hook’ sign.

The indications for and preferred approaches to operative stabilization of posttraumatic chest wall instability are uncertain. We suggest this simple, rapid, and effective approach to surgical stabilization by Luque rod strutting of the flail segment when operation is required.

“Pendelluft”, or out-of-phase movement of the airway gas between the intact and flait-chest-side lungs has long been believed to be the major contributor to respiratory dysfunction in patients with flail chest. However, conflicting findings have also been reported mainly from animal studies. The aim of this study was to provide a mathematical projection on this classical problem. We measured respiratory impedance (Zrs) of dogs with flail chest using a pseudorandom forced oscillation method. A mathematical model implementing flail chest was fitted toZrs. The fitted results were used in simulating the mechanical behavior of a respiratory system with flail chest during spontaneous breathing. Our results suggest that the paradoxical movement of breathing between the flail segment and the intact chest wall does not create substantial pendelluft and that alveolar hypoventilation is created by the wasting movement of the flail segment which interferes with effective thoracic expansion.

A 64-year-old man was a multiple trauma victim following a motor vehicle accident. He sustained injuries to his head, left leg, a burst fracture of the L4 vertebra and left haemopneumothorax with an associated flail segment involving ribs 8–11 that required a thoracostomy drain. …

Transesophageal echocardiographic (TEE) provides superb images of the mitral valve. In patients with mitral regurgitation (MR) the type of lesion conditions the ability to perform a valve repair, suggesting liberal indications of TEE preoperatively. However, the accuracy of TEE and its incremental value over transthoracic echocardiography(TTE) are not available to determine the proper utilization of resources. Among 347 patients operated on between 1988 and 1991 for pure, isolated MR, 248 had a preoperative TEE (age = 64 ± 14 years, 152 males) and 216 of them had a preoperative TTE. The accuracy (Ac) of TTE and TEE, the percentage of patients with incremental accuracy of TEE (% Inc) and the percentage of TTE errors corrected by TEE (% Corr) were: Acc TEE Acc TTE P % Inc % Corr Etiology 99% 95% 0.008 3.7% 80% Mechanism 99% 94% 0.002 4.6% 77% Vegetations 99% 95% 0.008 3.7% 73% Prolapse 93% 80% 0.001 13.9% 70% Flail segment 96% 80% 0.001 16.2% 81% Rupture chord 87% 57% 0.001 32.4% 75% The % Inc was significantly higher when the anatomy was felt to be incompletely described by the observer (vegetations 15% vs 1%, P = 0.0001, prolapse 36% vs 9%, P = 0.0001). In conclusion, 1)the high resolution imaging of TEE allows a high accuracy of anatomic assessment but, 2)the incremental value over TTE is moderate and most significant for ruptured chordae or when TTE is incomplete and thus, 3)TEE should be performed preoperatively in selected cases in which the probability for incremental value is high.

Sixteen dogs were placed under general anesthesia and flail segments of the left chest were created by transecting ribs 7,8,9, and 10 anteriorly and posteriorly. Fractures were 10 cm apart so that a 10-cm flail segment encompassing four ribs was created. In Group I, the control (N = 5), the chest wall muscles were closed without any stabilization of the fractures. Group II (N = 5) had stabilization of both anterior and posterior fracture sites by polypropylene sutures. Group III (N = 6) had stabilization of the fractures in ribs 7 and 8 with 2.5-cm bone grafts taken from the left fourth rib. Ribs 9 and 10 were stabilized by polypropylene sutures. The study established a canine model for flail chest. It also showed that strut stabilization of rib fractures with bone grafts promotes better healing than suture stabilization. It suggests that using bone grafts taken from another rib to stabilize flail segments may be unsatisfactory since the rib used as a donor showed no signs of regeneration at 30 days.

Study of 16 normal and 33 flail mitral valves provides evidence of the active participation of chordae tendineae in mitral valve opening. The normal valves have straight chordae at all phases of opening. During isovolumic relaxation and progressive opening phases, the smooth configuration of the mid-anterior mitral leaflet is broken by a sharp outward “tenting.” This tenting is localized at chordal insertions, reflecting significant tension at these points. Flail mitral valves allow comparison of opening motion between mitral segments with normal chordal attachment and flail segments without chordal support. Posterior flail leaflets demonstrate delay in initiation of opening motion relative to the normal anterior leaflet. The most dramatic examples of this delay reveal a maximal opening excursion of the anterior leaflet before the flail posterior leaflet initiates opening motion. The untethered free margins of opening flail anterior leaflets produce the appearance of the flail segment trailing the body of the anterior leaflet with a sharp break in leaflet contour between the supported and unsupported segments. These configurational expressions of mitral valve opening are inconsistent with a passive hemogenic mechanism. They support an active myogenic process mediated through direct traction on the valve by the chordae tendineae.

A case of "stove-in" chest is described in which the drug R1406 (phenoperidine), a powerful analgesic and respiratory depressant, was used to allow the easy application of a mechanical ventilator after initial surgical fixation of the flail segment. It was noted that, under the influence of the drug, ventilation in particular was adequate, and management in general relatively easy compared with previous cases. Undesirable side effects such as emesis and hypotension were not observed.

The treatment of flail chest injuries continues to constitute a significant clinical problem. The initial therapeutic approach consisted of stabilizazion of the flail segment by external methods or surgical fixation. In 1956, Avery et al. [1] introduced internal pneumatic stabilization with the use of continuous positive-pressure ventilation; in 1973, Sladen et al. [17] demonstrated the usefulness of PEEP in the reduction of hypoxia. In 1975 Cullen et al. [5] showed the advantages of using IMV and PEEP. This treatment shortened the time of mechanical ventilation in these critically injured patients and helped to markedly decrease the morbidity associated with prolonged ventilation. This report concerns our experience in the management of patients with flail chest.

Cases of flail chest injury for 24 client-owned companion animals following various traumas were evaluated. Concurrently sustained injuries, initial emergency treatments, and definitive treatment and outcome for regimens that utilize stabilization of the flail segment were compared with cases treated with no stabilization. Flail chest was confirmed in 24 animals: 21 dogs and three cats. There was an even division (12 each) of right and left flail segments. The median number of ribs involved was three (range, two to seven). Flail segment stabilization was performed in nine, and 15 were treated with no stabilization. Statistical analysis using multiple data permutations evaluating all combinations failed to reveal a significant difference in outcome between stabilized and unstabilized cases.