Operative management of thoracic injuries is an increasingly accepted technique, with multiple reports of improved patient outcomes as compared with nonoperative treatment. Despite the evolving support of rib fracture fixation, descriptions of surgical approaches and tactics remain limited. We present this information to allow surgeons to begin or improve treatment of these injuries. In additio...

A male toddler suffered from cardiac arrest on May 26, 1988 after receiving amoxicillin. His stepfather, Daniel Childs, performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and called 911. The child was brought to the hospital, resuscitated, and given epinephrine 0.8 mg endotracheally and IV. He had a blood pH of 6.82, infection, and kidney and liver damage. The child was given sodium bicarbonate, ant...

A statistical analysis of injury outcome and biomechanical response was performed using data from 28 left side impact tests employing Heidelberg-type sleds and post-mortem human subjects, with the objective of advancing the development of thoracic injury criteria for lateral impact. Injuries were scored by the test centers according to AIS 90. Rib fractures accounted for the maximum AIS score i...

Few studies have looked at the structural properties of human bones across the entire age spectrum. The goal of this study is to define linear stiffness and other structural properties of human ribs across a wide range of ages. Ribs are of particular interest because they are often fractured during motor vehicle crashes and can lead to further injuries to internal organs such as the heart and l...