Surgical management of flail chest: State of art and future perspectives

Purpose of Review Rib fractures are common among trauma patients with both blunt chest wall and thoraco-abdominal trauma, seen in up to 39% of patients following blunt chest trauma and present in 10% of all trauma admissions and, in these individuals, mortality rates can reach 9–16%. Notwithstanding, the objective of surgical stabilization is to recover thoracic wall rigidity and restore normal ventilation and functions, thus decreasing mortality and morbidity. Recent Findings Currently, all possible indications for surgical rib fixation are far away from a consensus statement backed up with strong evidence. Summary The aim of this review article is to highlight both the usefulness and the pitfalls of operative rib fixation techniques. © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2017.