What Is a Sternal Fracture?
Fractures of the sternum are very rare and are often caused by violence directly on the sternum or by compression. Fractures often occur near the sternal body connected to the sternal body. The fracture line is mostly horizontal. If the fracture is shifted, the lower flap is shifted forward. complete. Clinical manifestations are sternal swelling and pain, which may be accompanied by respiratory and circulatory dysfunction. The patients without displacement were mainly rested in bed and analgesia, and the patients with displacement were reset by manipulation or surgery.
- English name
- fracture of sternum
- Visiting department
- Thoracic Surgery
- Multiple groups
- Car accident patients
- Common locations
- sternum
- Common causes
- Caused by direct violent impact, such as the impact of the steering wheel on the driver's chest in a car accident
- Common symptoms
- Swelling and tenderness at the sternum, with respiratory, thoracic, or spinal injury
Basic Information
Causes of sternal fractures
- Usually caused by direct violent impact, such as the collision of the steering wheel against the driver's chest in a car accident.
Clinical manifestations of sternal fractures
- Swelling and tenderness at the sternum, which may be accompanied by damage to the respiratory tract, thoracic vessels, or spine.
Sternal fracture examination
- X-ray manifestations are mostly transversal, with more than two fracture lines and displacement. Side view film display is better.
Diagnosis of sternal fracture
- A preliminary diagnosis can be made based on local pain and tenderness after impact in the anterior chest area. If the fracture is displaced, local deformation can be seen; when multiple ribs or rib cartilage fractures are combined, abnormal breathing movements can occur, and respiratory and circulatory dysfunction can occur. Oblique and lateral X-rays can confirm the diagnosis of sternal fractures.
Treatment of sternal fractures
- The treatment of simple non-displaced sternal fractures is mainly bed rest and analgesia. Those with displacement will undergo fracture reduction early after the general injury is stable.
- Closed-hand reset
- The patient was lying supine with her sternum overstretched, her arms raised above her head, and after local anesthesia with procaine, she was strongly pressed to reset the sternal fracture. This method is suitable for fractures with transversal sternum and displacement.
- 2. Surgical fixation
- For obvious fracture displacement, difficulty in manual reduction or sternal fracture with flail chest. Surgery can be performed under local or general anesthesia. Make a median incision at the fracture, pry the fracture end with a periosteal stripper or bone holder, align the upper and lower ends, and drill holes in the upper and lower folds of the fracture. Wire fixed suture.