Broken ribs are a common injury, accounting for about 10% of all traumatic chest injuries. Statistics show that 50–60% of broken ribs result from motor vehicle accidents, while falls and violent sports account for a large percentage of the remaining cases. Although most broken ribs can be treated conservatively, up to 30% of broken rib cases may require advanced medical intervention due to potential complications such as lung injury or internal bleeding. In this article, we review broken ribs treatment methods, pain relief techniques, and tips to speed up the recovery process.
Types of rib fractures
There are several types of rib fractures that may occur, and broken ribs treatment varies by type, including:
- Stress fracture: Caused by repetitive stress on the rib.
- Dislocation fracture: Part of the bone separates due to injury.
- Comminuted fracture: The rib breaks into several pieces.
- Floating fracture: The broken parts move.
- Both displaced and non-displaced fractures: The displaced type requires surgical intervention to stabilize the bone.
Who is most likely to get a rib fracture?
People such as athletes or those with osteoporosis are more prone to rib fractures.
Osteoporosis is often associated with multiple fractures in the body, such as hip and knee fractures, which can often require a hip replacement
How is broken ribs treatment performed?
Broken ribs treatment includes two types of treatment: conservative treatment and surgical treatment. In most cases, a rib fracture heals spontaneously within six weeks. Pain is controlled with medications such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or stronger painkillers under a doctor’s supervision. Doctors recommend the following for self-care:
- Avoid movements that may hurt the broken rib
- Regularly practice deep breathing
- See your doctor immediately if you develop new symptoms such as difficulty breathing or fever
Conservative broken ribs treatment
Broken ribs treatment is usually based on pain relief and rest, as a splint cannot be used due to the continuous movement of the ribs with breathing or coughing. Conservative broken ribs treatment involves the use of medications, rest, and some breathing exercises to speed up healing. Here are some activities to avoid:
- Lifting heavy weights (more than 10 kilograms)
- Engaging in contact sports activities
- Activities that require pushing or pulling, such as abdominal exercises
- Strenuous sports such as running or horseback riding
- Avoid coughing too hard
How to relieve pain
- Opioid analgesics (under doctor’s supervision) or anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen or naproxen may be used
- Applying ice packs to the fracture site can help relieve pain
The importance of deep breathing in therapy
Practicing deep breathing exercises regularly is important in broken ribs treatment to avoid pneumonia from shallow breathing, and the following are the correct deep breathing steps to support healing:
- Breathe deeply for three seconds.
- Go to quiet breathing for three seconds.
- Do some short puffs and light coughing.
- Finish with calm breathing for three seconds, and repeat the exercise several times a day.
Broken ribs treatment: surgical intervention
Broken ribs treatment may include surgery in certain cases, such as multiple rib fractures or fractures that lead to rib cage instability.
Surgical indications for broken ribs treatment
- Loose fracture (involving fractures in three consecutive sides)
- Comminuted fractures or rib fractures with concomitant sternum fractures
- A fracture that threatens vital organs such as the lungs or heart
- Failure of conservative treatment and persistent pain
Surgical indications for broken ribs treatment
Rib fracture fixation surgery is performed under general anesthesia as part of broken ribs treatment, where the incision is made according to the position of the fracture to access the affected bones. An endoscope is then used to check for possible internal bleeding and stabilize the condition before proceeding with fixation. The fractures are stabilized using titanium plates secured with special screws, which helps to restore stability to the rib cage and speed up recovery.
After surgery, the patient is advised to rest fully and avoid strenuous activities while following breathing exercises to promote healing, which may take about six weeks. However, there may be factors that prevent surgical broken ribs treatment, such as hemodynamic instability or the presence of other serious injuries like pelvic or spinal fractures, and the treatment plan should be re-evaluated according to the patient’s condition.
When is rib fracture surgery necessary?
Surgery is indicated in cases where normal breathing is difficult or if there are life-threatening internal injuries. In these cases, you may need to stabilize the rib using plates and screws.
Need broken ribs treatment?
At Bimaristan Medical Center in Turkey, we offer expert care—from pain management and breathing exercises to surgical stabilization when necessary—and guide you through every step of recovery.
Contact us now for 24/7 support.
After rib fracture surgery
The doctor may recommend taking anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving medications as needed and doing daily breathing exercises. During the recovery period, which may take about six weeks, it is also important to avoid heavy lifting, sports activities, and strenuous work.
The treatment of rib fracture is often conservative according to the type of fracture, such as using painkillers to treat the pain of fractures or using ice packs and breathing exercises after seeking medical advice, which is the optimal treatment for simple rib fractures, as for surgical treatment, we resort to it in the treatment of rib fracture when there is a danger to important body organs such as the heart and lungs and thus threatens the patient’s life, and we rarely resort to surgery except in the case of serious fractures.
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