Hospital-Based Rehabilitation of Patients Who Had Undergone an Open Reduction and Internal Fixation of the Ribs Due to a Flail Chest: Case Series

Nehama Milson, Iuly Treger, Michal Vered, Asaf Acker and Leonid Kalichman ()
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Nehama Milson: Rehabilitation Department, Soroka University Medical Center, Beer Sheva 84101, Israel
Iuly Treger: Rehabilitation Department, Soroka University Medical Center, Beer Sheva 84101, Israel
Michal Vered: Rehabilitation Department, Soroka University Medical Center, Beer Sheva 84101, Israel
Asaf Acker: Rehabilitation Department, Soroka University Medical Center, Beer Sheva 84101, Israel
Leonid Kalichman: Department of Physical Therapy, Recanati School for Community Health Professions, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 23, 1-4

Abstract: Flail chest, a severe chest injury, is caused by multiple rib fractures. The open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of rib fractures is an effective treatment; however, the patients’ subsequent condition remains unsatisfactory in terms of the activities of daily living (ADL) and pain. No research study has, as yet, reported on hospital-based rehabilitation of patients who had undergone an ORIF. Our aim was to evaluate the efficacy of hospital-based rehabilitation of flail chest post-ORIF patients. Physical therapists assessed the pain, functional independence measure (FIM), and the Berg balance test. A total of three females and four males (mean age 59.43 ± 18.88) were hospitalized. A significant reduction in pain was observed (7.00 ± 1.83 upon admission to 4.10 ± 2.05 pre-discharge (Z = −2.07, p = 0.027). A significant improvement in FIM (69.43 ± 14.86 upon admission to 113.57 ± 6.40 pre-discharge, Z = −2.37, p = 0.018), and the Berg balance test (35.23 ± 5.87 upon admission to 49.50 ± 3.40 pre-discharge, Z = −2.37, p = 0.018), was observed. Upon admission, all the patients required moderate to complete ADL assistance. Upon discharge, all were independent for all ADL functions. Patients after flail chest post-ORIF can benefit from hospital-based rehabilitation.

Keywords: flail chest; flail chest rehabilitation; flail chest surgery; rehabilitation of ribs fracture; ribs fracture (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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