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Medical Author:

Benjamin Wedro, MD, FACEP, FAAEM

Benjamin Wedro, MD, FACEP, FAAEM

Dr. Ben Wedro practices emergency medicine at Gundersen Clinic, a regional trauma center in La Crosse, Wisconsin. His background includes undergraduate and medical studies at the University of Alberta, a Family Practice internship at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario and residency training in Emergency Medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.

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Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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In this Article

• Bone fracture facts
• Introduction and definition of bone fracture
• What causes a bone fracture?
• What are the signs and symptoms of a bone fracture?
• What are common types of bone fractures?
• Broken wrist
• Broken hip
• Broken leg
• Broken shoulder
• Broken hand or fingers
• Open fracture
• Stress fracture
• Compression fracture
• Broken rib
• Skull fracture
• Other fractures
• Bone fracture in children
• How is a bone fracture diagnosed?
• What is the treatment for a bone fracture?
• Bone fracture surgery
• Patient Comments: Fracture - Describe Your Experience
• Patient Comments: Fracture - Causes
• Find a local Doctor in your town
• Fracture Index

The ribs are especially vulnerable to injury and are prone to breaking due to a direct blow. Rib X-rays are rarely taken since it doesn't matter if the rib is broken or just bruised. A chest X-ray often ordered to make certain there is no collapse or bruising of the lung.

As we breathe, our ribs and lungs expand like a bellows. When we breathe, the ribs swing out and the diaphragm, the muscle that separates the chest wall and abdomen pushes down and air is sucked into the lungs. When a person has a rib injury, the pain associated with that injury, be it a fracture or contusion (bruise), makes breathing difficult and the person has a tendency to not take deep breaths. If the lung underlying the injury does not expand, it is at risk for infection. The person is then susceptible to pneumonia (lung infection), which is characterized by fever, cough, and shortness of breath.

As opposed to other parts of the body that can rest when they are injured, it is very important to take deep breaths to prevent pneumonia when rib fractures are present. The treatment for bruised and broken ribs is the same: ice to the chest wall, ibuprofen as an anti-inflammatory, deep breaths, and pain medication. Even if all goes well, there will be significant pain for four to six weeks. Ribs are no longer wrapped because of the complication of possibly developing pneumonia.

With lower rib fractures, there may be concern about organs in the abdomen that the ribs protect. The liver is located under the ribs on the right side of the chest, and the spleen under the ribs on the left side of the chest. Many times your doctor may be more worried about abdominal injury than about the broken rib itself. Ultrasound or CT scan may help diagnosis intra-abdominal injuries.