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An injury to the thoracic rib cage can be painful. This type of injury is caused by blunt trauma to the chest. In fact, this type of injury is commonly caused by a driver’s impact with the steering wheel during a car accident. Our experienced personal injury attorneys explain some basic things you should know if you injured your chest.
The thoracic cage, or rib cage, functions as support for the torso and protection for the heart and lungs. It consists of the sternum, ribs and the twelve vertebrae to which the ribs anchor. Costal cartilage connects the ribs to the sternum in the front of the body. There are three different rib categories. True ribs (1-7) are attached to the sternum, sometimes called the breast bone. Ribs 8-12 known also as “false ribs”, do not attach to the sternum, but rather they are attached to the costal cartilage of the previous rib. The last two false ribs are also known as floating ribs since they don’t connect to the sternum at all.
Rib injuries commonly cause painful coughing and breathing. This can happen if a rib breaks or even if the rib, or nearby muscle, is bruised. Infections can also occasionally accompany rib fractures, usually appearing as a high fever, excess phlegm and a cough.
Most rib injuries heal themselves in approximately 4-6 weeks with little medical treatment. Painkillers can also be taken, but otherwise medical intervention is generally minimal, in most cases. In some rare cases, a broken rib can puncture internal organs causing a potentially life threatening emergency.
If you have any questions concerning the accident that caused an injury to your torso, contact our experienced injury attorneys by email or calling (800) 762-9300. You can also get started by simply filling out one of our case intake forms, and we will have one of our attorneys get right back to you.
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