Definition
A contusion of the ribs, also known as rib contusion, is an injury to one or more ribs caused by an external force, such as in a fall or traffic accident. In contrast to rib fractures, bones are not injured in a rib contusion. However, the crushing of soft tissue usually causes severe pain, which is particularly acute when the patient takes a deep breath. A rib contusion usually heals without consequence, but this can take several weeks. Rib contusion and rib fracture cannot always be reliably distinguished on the basis of symptoms alone.
Causes
A rib contusion can occur with direct blunt force, which can have various causes. The ribs are relatively sensitive to pain, as the bones are mostly protected only by a thin soft tissue layer of skin and subcutaneous fatty tissue. Although the bony structures remain intact, in contrast to the rib fracture, the soft tissues are crushed, which is usually very painful.
The cause of a rib contusion can be, for example, a fall on the rib cage while riding a bicycle or climbing stairs. Other causes can be a kick, a blow or if you bump into an edge. The causes of a rib contusion are therefore particularly common in sports with high physical exertion such as handball, ice hockey and most martial arts such as boxing, wrestling or judo. Another common cause of rib contusions is traffic accidents. A common injury pattern is when the driver’s rib cage hits the steering wheel in a rear-end collision.
You can recognize a rib contusion by these symptoms
The symptoms of a rib contusion usually start immediately after the triggering event. In some cases, however, such as in a serious traffic accident or during sports, the perception of pain may initially be dampened by a high adrenaline level, so that the symptoms do not really appear until later. Pain in the affected area of the chest is the main symptom by which a possible rib bruise can be recognized.
These are usually localized on one side only and are limited to one area depending on the extent of the injury. Typically, the symptoms are intensified by coughing and may be more pronounced when taking a deep breath. Many people with a very painful rib contusion therefore breathe very shallowly to avoid the pain as much as possible.
However, this can lead to breathing difficulties for the person concerned. Another symptom that can be used to identify a rib contusion is a bruise mark on the skin at the site of the injury. This is a bruise (haematoma), which occurs when small blood vessels are destroyed during the development of the rib contusion and bleeding into the tissue has occurred. However, as a layperson it is usually not possible to distinguish a rib contusion from a rib fracture with certainty, as the symptoms can be very similar. Therefore, if in doubt, a doctor should be consulted for an examination to determine whether the ribs are broken or merely a rib contusion.