First Rib Fracture and Absence of Traumatic History in a Patient with Surgically Corrected Scoliosis: A Case Study

Abstract

This case report is unique due to the rare combination of a history of no trauma and a history of scoliosis correction surgery with instrumentation performed 1 year before presentation. A 23-year-old male patient presented to the emergency department in a stable condition and he looked well. He was able to walk without any limitation, but complained of left upper back pain for 2 days after a sneezing episode. The patient denied history of chest pain, shortness of breath, cough, palpitation, headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. The chest X-ray showed left first rib fracture, and computed tomography scan of the chest without contrast that was performed to diagnose rib fracture or complications confirmed the diagnosis. This case study concludes that the left first rib fracture is rare in postoperative scoliosis without a history of trauma.

Keywords

• adolescent idiopathic scoliosis
• fracture
• ribs
• scoliosis