Breastbone Injury
Types Of Breastbone Injury
A breastbone injury is a rather rare occurrence, with the two main causes being automobile accidents and athletic injuries, primarily contact sports. If a breastbone injury should occur, it's apt to be either strained or sprained ligaments attached to the breastbone, a dislocation, or a fracture.
Breastbone is the common name for the sternum, a long, T-shaped bone located in the center of the chest. The breastbone connects to the first 7 ribs, forming the anterior or forward part of the rib cage. The top of the breastbone supports the collar bones or clavicles. There are 3 parts of sections of the breastbone, the top of the T-shape being the manubrium, the long thin dagger-like body of the breastbone, the gladiolus, and the bottom section, the xiphoid process.
Fractured Breastbone - As far as a breastbone injury is concerned, a fractured breastbone represents somewhat of a paradox. The fracture itself usually requires little in the way of treatment, unless of course the bone is shattered. At the same time, the mortality rate for those suffering from a fractured breastbone is quite high, around 40% by some estimates. It isn't the fractured bone itself that represents a danger, unless pieces of bone are near major blood vessels, but the fact that a blow hard enough to cause the breastbone to fracture could easily cause damage to the organs the breastbone protects, the heart and the lungs. In extreme cases, a breastbone fracture could be associated with a crushed chest, where ribs may also be fractured, and accompanying damage to the heart or lungs is often the case as well.
If a breastbone injury is a simple fracture, and the ribs, heart, or lungs are not involved, an elastic wrap may be needed to help prevent movement while the bone heals. Aside from pain medication, rest, and periodic monitoring of the heart and lung functions, not much else is usually required.
Breastbone Ligament Sprain - A second type of breastbone injury sometimes occurs at the joints where the breastbone and collar bones are connected by several ligaments. This type of injury is most commonly the result of one falling onto an outstretched hand, which can place significant stress on these ligaments, causing a ligament sprain, and at times causing damage to surrounding tendons and blood vessels. This type of injury, called a sterno-clavicular joint sprain, if severe enough, can at times cause a small portion of the breastbone to break away, resulting in a sterno-clavicular sprain-fracture. A ligament sprain can be mild, where some ligament fibers are torn, but there is no loss of function, or can consist of a complete rupture, and subsequently a complete loss of function. A complete rupture of a ligament, called a Class III sprain (a mild sprain is a Class I), will very often require surgery to repair the affected tissues.
Breastbone Joint Dislocation - A third type of breastbone injury also involves both the sternum and one of the clavicles, and is in effect a dislocation of the joint. If the dislocation is accompanied by a bone fracture it's very important to seek immediate medical attention, as sharp bone fragments could be in close proximity to major blood vessels. If there is a dislocation but no further damage, the only real treatment is rest. While the joint will usually heal in a few weeks, shoulder pain may linger on for several months. This type of injury is most apt to happen in athletic events.
Unless you lead an action-packed life, outside of an automobile accident you're unlikely to ever suffer a breastbone injury. If only the breastbone itself is affected, the situation is usually not dangerous, and keeping the injured area quiet is the usual treatment. It's the possibility of potential damage to adjacent tendons, tissues, or organs where the real danger lies.