INTRODUCTION: Radiography remains limited in costal cartilage injuries, and sonography, CT and MR imaging turns out to be more sensitive in the detection of cartilage injuries. This study aims to determine the frequency of costal cartilage fractures detected in the CT images of the patients with high energy chest trauma and to evaluate the association of costal cartilage fracture with the complications of trauma.
METHODS: The CT images of 93 patients aged 18-91 years with a trauma admitted to the Emergency Department of the State Hospital between February 2019 and June 2019 were studied retrospectively. Thorax CT images of 93 patients who presented to the emergency department with blunt chest trauma with AIS > 2 were retrospectively investigated by a radiologist with a board certificate who had 15 years of experience in the field.
RESULTS: Costal cartilage fracture was identified in 39 of 93 patients with severe chest trauma. Among the 93 chest trauma patients admitted to the emergency department between February and June 2019, the prevalence of costal cartilage was calculated as 41.93%. Note that the most common costal cartilage fractures in the study group were identified in the 6th, 7th, 8th and 1st costal cartilages. Another significant relationship (p = 0.007) was found between costal cartilage calcification and cartilage fracture.
CONCLUSION: Costal cartilage fractures frequently occur in blunt thoracic trauma with multiple rib fractures and are of clinical importance as they lead to the instability of chest wall. The incidence of cartilage fractures increases in elderly patients with costal cartilage calcification.