Rib Injury
Description
Any of the 12 ribs on each side of your chest may be bruised, strained, broken, or separated. All of the ribs are attached to the vertebrae (thoracic) in the rear. In the front, 10 of them are attached to the sternum (breastbone) by pieces of cartilage. Direct blows to the ribs may bruise or break the ribs or injure the rib cartilage. The ribs may tear away from the cartilage that attaches therm to the breastbone. This tearing away from the cartilage is called a costochondral separation. Costochondritis is inflammation of the rib cartilage.
Cause
Rib injuries usually result from a direct blow to the chest wall.
Breaks usually occur in the curved portion of the outer part of the rib cage. A costochondral separation may occur from trauma, when you land hard on your feet, or even when you cough or sneeze violently. Stress fractures do also occur in athletes. They tend to be seen in overhand athletes and rowers who place repetitive stress on the bone. Slipping rib syndrome is another condition seen in athletes when the cartilaginous ends of the false ribs are hyper mobile and exert pressure on the neurovascular bundle above.
Symptoms
A rib injury cause pain and tenderness over the place of injury. You may have pain when you breathe, move, laugh, or cough. Rib injuries should be taken seriously, as underlying injuries as a result of a rib fracture can include: Haemothorax (bleeding into chest wall cavity), Pneumothorax (air leaking into the chest cavity), Tension Pneumothorax (collapsed lung), Pulmonary Contusion and Visceral Injury (where a sharp rib spike damages the liver or spleen)
Examination
Based on a review of symptoms and physical examination, X-rays should be ordered to look for rib damage, lung damage, or bleeding around the lungs.
Treatment
To help your injury heal, it is recommended that you:
Rest
Ice the area for the first 24-48 hours, 10-15 minutes every 3-4 hours
Take anti-inflammatory medications
Wear a rib belt
Prevention
Ribs are often injured in ways that are not preventable. However, in contact sports such as football or lacrosse it is important to wear appropriate protective equipment.
Recovery/Rehabilitation
The goal of rehabilitation is to return you to your sport or activity as soon as is safely possible. If you return too soon you may worsen your injury, which could lead to permanent damage. Everyone recovers from injury at a different rate. Return to your sport will be determined by how soon your ribs (and associated injury) recover, not by how many days or weeks it has been since your injury occurred.
Bruised ribs and a costochondral separation can take from a few days to 4 weeks to heal. If you broke a rib, it may take 6-8 weeks to heal. You may be able to participate in non-contact activities sooner if you can do so without pain in your ribs and without pain when you breathe.