Characteristics of hardware failure in patients undergoing surgical stabilization of rib fractures: A Chest Wall Injury Society multicenter study.

Background: Surgical stabilization of rib fractures (SSRF) is increasingly used for severe rib fractures/flail chest. There are no reports discussing mechanisms of failure of implanted hardware, its clinical presentation, or consequences. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence, presenting signs, and clinical sequela of hardware failure after SSRF.