Medically reviewed by William Morrison, M. Share on Pinterest. Causes and risk factors of a broken sternum. What are the symptoms of a broken sternum? How is a broken sternum diagnosed? How is a broken sternum treated? How long does it take to recover from a broken sternum? Can a broken sternum cause complications? What is the outlook for a broken sternum?
Read this next. Why Is My Sternum Popping? Medically reviewed by Debra Sullivan, Ph. So how does this affliction come about? Below are some of the causes that bring about a fractured sternum.
A traumatic blunt or sharp force blow caused by an object or a person can bring about a cracked sternum. This can happen during incidents such as brawls and also due to moving objects that hit the chest area. Such trauma can cause permanent conditions of impairment or even death in some cases.
In case of a car accident, the inertia from the deceleration causes a car occupant to hit their chest either on the steering wheel or on whatever object that lies ahead of them. This impact can be hazardous since it can lead to a fractured sternum which if left untreated can cause severe complications and possibly death. The risk of motor vehicle accidents happening is the reason why there is a heavy emphasis on the putting on of seatbelts.
A seatbelt will hold you back in your seat and protect you from the jerking caused by inertia. Sports injuries are a significant cause of a cracked sternum. Contact sports like rugby, American football, wrestling, soccer, volleyball, and skiing, can lead to a fractured sternum.
It is said that American footballers endure hits that are as severe as several car crashes during a single game. It is no astonishment then that a lot of these athletes go down with injuries such as a broken sternum. Some athletes even end up paralysed shortly after or during their careers due to the injuries inflicted. A fall from a considerable height can cause a cracked sternum. This is yet another reason to be afraid of heights.
People who work in construction sites and cable companies are most vulnerable to this hazard, hence the need to exercise caution when carrying out operations. Knowledge of the possible causes of a cracked sternum will help you guard against injury and exercise caution in all that you do.
But just in case you are already experiencing discomfort occasioned by either blunt force or sharp force trauma, these are the telltale signs that you are ailing from a cracked sternum. Since the sternum is attached to the ribcage, they move together in the process of inhalation and exhalation.
This movement aggravates the injury causing the worsening of pain while taking deep breaths, coughing, sneezing and laughing. The sensation of the sternum cracking may be caused by the condition costochondritis.
This involves inflammation of the cartilage in the rib cage by trauma, strain, tumors, arthritis, or infection of the upper respiratory system. Costochondritis is commonly seen in the cartilage of the costosternal joint, located at the point where the sternum attaches to the upper portion of the rib cage.
Cartilage inflammation hinders the movement of the ribs and allows for physical contact of the ribs against the cartilage. Treatment of costochondritis may involve both medical and natural remedies. With this condition, the inflammation may be due to a chest infection, in addition to any straining of the chest muscles that occurs with violent coughing or gagging.
Rest, corticosteroid injections, and anti-inflammatory drugs may be used alone or as combined therapy. Other treatments may work to alleviate the swelling, pain, and damage to the afflicted area. Sternal instability, also known as sternal non-union, occurs with an injured sternum that does not heal. It is seen with surgical procedures such as coronary artery bypass grafting, during which the sternum is purposely split or cracked open.
Movement of the sternum at this stage causes the wires connecting the segregated sternum to break through the sternum.
Conditions that may lead to sternal instability after a surgical procedure include obesity, chronic coughing, loss of bone density, a large chest size, or medications such as steroids and beta-adrenergic agonists. Health conditions like diabetes, renal failure, or osteoporosis may also cause the sternum to split further. This condition presents severe and constant pain and popping noises in the sternum. The pain can impair daily activities because it may affect the ability to use the torso and upper extremities.
Treatment for sternal instability may focus on improved mobility in the arms with exercises of bilateral means. This may be accomplished through physical therapy exercises using both arms at once. Deep breathing and coughing exercises are done with precise and careful planning so as not to further damage the sternum.
Popping of the chest has yet to be linked to a direct cause; however, there are a number of factors that appear to lead to the sound when pressure in the synovial fluid drops. Synovial fluid lubricates the ends of the bones that form the joints to protect against wear and tear. The fluid has carbon dioxide, oxygen, and nitrogen gasses. The pressure of the fluid decreases as the surrounding connective tissue stretches when the body is extended.
A low pressure produces bubbles within the synovial fluid from the existing gases. These bubbles bursting may cause the cracking sound, known as crepitus in medical terms. Treatment for synovial gas issues is not required, as this is a natural occurrence with some movements. Rest and compresses may help with inflammation.
Alternative measures such as acupressure or acupuncture may help by promoting proper blood flow. A sternum popping sound with pain, swelling, and a tightening in the chest may require medical attention. How many centuries ago did they do that? I had heart surgery 14 years ago and they didn't wrap me.
They laced the two sides together with what looks like piano wire on an x-ray. For several weeks I could feel the sides shift where they came together. I can feel that by running my fingers across my chest.
They sent me home with a "cough pillow" to hold against my chest when I had to cough or sneeze. I became very good at stifling both due to the pain. There was a special technique for lifting myself up to get out of bed. The standard roll to the side method was way too painful. They really do tell you that old doctor favorite: if it hurts when you do that don't do it.
They also said not to lift anything over 10 pounds, so a week after I got home I was outside putting the snow plow on my Jeep because we got a foot of snow during the night. Four weeks later I was in a customers house moving a 36" TV around to work on it. The joys of being self employed. If you don't work you don't make any money. You can't afford the kind of health insurance big companies supply so I had hospital bills to pay.
I don't remember how long it took to completely heal. I was only away from work for about 4 weeks. The doctors gave me hell for going back to work, but their billing departments wanted money. I told them I was taking it easy and they believed me. My sister was airlifted to the turma center but I walked away with chest pains.
As of today four months later my chest still hurts. My heart doctor wanted to make sure my heart was not causing the pains so he ordered tests and found out my heart was not causing the pains. It hurts me to bend down and lift up high to reach for something. I hurts me getting up and down from sitting.
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