The healing time of a rib fracture

How long does it take to heal a rib fracture?

The healing time of a rib fracture usually takes about 12 weeks. During this time, the destroyed bone tissue is removed and a new bone is rebuilt. As a result, the ends of the fracture heal together again. However, a so-called soft callus is already formed after about 3 to 4 weeks. Although this callus initially consists of soft bone tissue and therefore has a significantly lower load-bearing capacity, it should be painless.

What does the healing time depend on?

Once the bone ends are parallel to each other, healing can proceed without complications. If the ends of the rib fracture are not parallel, reduction may be necessary. In the case of very complicated fractures, they must be reduced surgically and fixed with screws or plates.

In these cases, the bones are either shattered or are very unstable in themselves, making parallel coalescence impossible without external fixation. However, the operation can also lead to other complications and severe pain, so that in most cases surgical therapy is not advisable. The healing time can hardly be shortened by other methods.

  • Patients with osteoporosis have a prolonged healing process
  • With increasing age, the healing time also increases
  • Both malnutrition and overweight delay the healing process

How can I speed up the healing time?

The healing of a rib fracture can be supported and even promoted by various measures. Firstly, the healing process is supported when the patient is relieved of pain. Thus, in addition to the classic drug therapy with ibuprofen or paracetamol, magnetic field therapy can also be used to provide relief from the pain.

Although there are no conclusive studies yet, patients report a significant improvement in pain after magnetic field therapy. The healing period was less than twelve weeks. The application of kinesiotapes can also support the healing process.

The tapes are applied by a trained physiotherapist to hold the reduced fracture in position. At the same time, the tapes can relieve the swelling and pain. Rib fractures cause discomfort, especially during breathing, so many patients adopt a relieving posture and breathe much more shallowly.

This, in turn, can entail some risks. Because of the shallow breathing, the deeper lung areas are not regularly ventilated and mucus is not transported upwards. This creates an optimal breeding ground for bacteria, which can lead to pneumonia. This significantly prolongs the healing process. Accordingly, breathing exercises or a specific breathing therapy can support the healing process and also improve the handling of pain.