DefinitionBy Mayo Clinic staff CLICK TO ENLARGE A broken rib, or
fractured rib, is a common injury that occurs when one of the
bones in your rib cage breaks or cracks. The most common cause
of broken ribs is trauma to the chest, such as from a fall,
motor vehicle accident or impact during contact sports. Many
broken ribs are merely cracked. While still painful, cracked
ribs aren't as potentially dangerous as ribs that have been
broken. In these situations, a jagged piece of bone could damage
major blood vessels or internal organs, such as the lungs. In
most cases, broken ribs heal on their own in one or two months.
Adequate pain control is important, so you can continue to
breathe deeply and avoid lung complications, such as pneumonia.
- Karlson KA. Rib fractures.
http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 7, 2011.
- Brunett PH, et al. Pulmonary trauma. In: Tintinalli JE, et al.
Tintinalli's Emergency Medicine: A Comprehensive Study Guide.
7th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2011. h