National Trend of Surgical Stabilization of Rib Fractures: Indications, Approaches, and Disparities.

Introduction: Rib fractures are among the most frequent injuries in trauma. This study aims to assess the current nationwide trends in operative rib fixation and identify predictors of surgical stabilization of rib fractures (SSRFs).

Methods: A 5-y (2017-2021) retrospective analysis of the Trauma Quality Improvement Program database was performed. Adult trauma patients who had at least one rib fracture were included. We analyzed data regarding type of SSRF including open and thoracoscopic approaches and its trends.

Results: A total of 780,275 patients were identified, of which 15,339 patients (1.9%) were managed with SSRF. Trends of both open and endoscopic approaches were increasing during the study period. Patients with ≤2 rib fractures had a decreasing rate of SSRF. Flail chest (odds ratio = 13.42, P < 0.001) was the strongest predictor of SSRF.

Conclusions: SSRF is gaining popularity in the management of chest trauma. The presence of a flail segment and multiplicity of rib fractures is among the predictors of SSRF.