When can I start exercising again after a sternum fracture? | Breastbone fracture

When can I start exercising again after a sternum fracture?

If you break your sternum, you should refrain from sports and heavy physical activity for at least eight weeks. During this time you should not lift heavily and take care of yourself physically. If you then start doing sports again, you should slowly start training again.

Breastbone fracture in children

A sternum fracture (sternum fracture) is extremely rare and occurs only in the case of a very severe contusion to the upper body. This can occur in various sports, such as martial arts, where the patient receives a violent blow to the sternum. Breastbone fractures are extremely rare in children.

Firstly, children’s bones, which are still growing, are much softer and more flexible than the bones of adults. This is also the reason why children do not break so quickly as a matter of principle, whereas older people suffer fractures much more quickly. However, it is possible that in a car accident, the child may experience a hard impact against the sternum, or a hard blow against the sternum while playing.

In such cases, a sternum fracture is also possible in children, but usually the adjacent ribs break first. Even in children, one tries to avoid surgery on the sternum, only in very severe cases is surgery necessary. Since the two lungs, the heart and, in children, the thymus are often located under the sternum, the fracture of the sternum can lead to constriction or injury.

It is therefore very important to have the child under medical supervision for a longer period of time after a fractured sternum. In addition, the child should be given painkillers to avoid taking a relieving posture because of the permanent pain, which can lead to a false contraction of the sternum. In general, a sternum fracture in children is not very different from that of an adult. However, such a fracture is much less likely in children. Since children are still growing, adequate follow-up treatment and adequate physiotherapy are essential!

Compensation for pain and suffering after a fractured sternum

A sternum fracture occurs when the sternum is subjected to enormous stress and is associated with absolute protection and recurrent pain for the affected patient for 2 months. In the worst case, joints can develop incorrectly and the sternum fracture must then be repaired. If a sternum fracture occurs in a car accident because Driver A drove Driver B onto the car and the car has now fractured the sternum due to the impact, Driver B can demand compensation from Driver A after a precise diagnosis by a doctor.

The amount of compensation for a fractured sternum depends on various factors. If a fracture of the sternum only occurs without further structures (ribs, lungs, heart, collarbone…) being injured and if this fracture of the sternum can be treated without an operation, the compensation for pain and suffering amounts to approximately 1,000 – 2,000 €. However, if other injuries occur in addition to the collarbone fracture, the amount of compensation for a sternum fracture increases very quickly.

If, for example, a fracture of the sternum is accompanied by a rupture of the small intestine, lung complaints and, in addition, chest contusions, the total compensation for pain and suffering can amount to €12,500. The reason for this is a longer inpatient admission and, in addition, multiple organ stress. It is more common that, in addition to a fracture of the sternum, ribs and the clavicle are also broken.

Since in this case the lungs are almost always damaged, one can expect to receive compensation for pain and suffering amounting to € 9,000. However, it is important to note that the amount of compensation always depends on the severity of the accident, the organs involved, the length of hospitalisation and the psychological damage. Therefore, the amount of compensation for pain and suffering in the event of a fractured sternum can always vary from patient to patient.