The History of Surgical Stabilization of Rib Fractures (SSRF)

•he earliest account of open reduction and internal stabilization of rib fractures comes from Dr. Charles Locke Scudder in 1900 when he published, The Treatment of Fractures•Surgical stabilization of rib fractures (SSRF) has evolved over 120 years with numerous advancements and lessons learned along the way•Materials have evolved from sutures to wires to external and internal plates•Rib fixation methods have evolved from open suture and wire cerclage to minimally invasive video assisted thoracoscopic surgery internal plating