Clinical outcomes of rib fracture stabilization and conservative treatment in a high-volume Asian trauma center: a propensity score-matched retrospective study

Abstract

Rib fractures are common chest wall injuries with conservative treatment and surgical stabilization of rib fractures (SSRF) as treatment options. We retrospectively compared the efficacy and long-term prognosis of conservative treatment and SSRF as treatment options for rib fractures. This retrospective study was conducted at a single trauma center in Taiwan. The study population comprised patients with rib fractures who underwent conservative treatment or SSRF at the National Taiwan University Hospital between 2017 and 2022. We analyzed the outcomes between the operative and non-operative groups, including the length of intensive care unit and hospital stays, pain scales at admission and follow-up, and post-operative complication rates. Of the 217 patients with rib fractures in this study, 103 received SSRF, and 114 received conservative treatment. Patients in the operative group had worse consciousness statuses and higher injury severity scores than those in the non-operative group. In addition, patients in the operative group had more preoperative chest complications than those in the non-operative group. Regarding outcomes and long-term prognoses, patients in the operative group had longer intensive care unit and hospital stays than those in the non-operative group; however, patients in the operative group had better recovery quality than those in the non-operative group. Our study showed that, in patients who meet the surgical indications, SSRF is an effective and safe way to relieve acute pain after thoracic injury and achieve better recovery and quality of life after surgical intervention.