Broken sternum recovery

Sternum or otherwise known as chest bone is a T-shaped bone located at the upper-middle part of the chest region. Sternum is responsible for the connection of the true ribs through the cartilage. The superior end of this bone supports the collar bone. Sternum is known to have three sections and they are manubrium, gladiolus and xiphoid process. The first section is located at the upper section of the sternum and it is attached to the collar bone and the first two pairs of true ribs. Gladiolus is the actual body of the sternum. The third part of the chest bone is at the inferior end and it is called xiphoid process. A lot of people know that chest bone is a very important part of the thoracic cage. Sternum is considered to be a very strong bone but a severe blow to the chest can cause it to develop cracks and even fracture. The sterna angle is the one particular part that is damaged in most cases.

Broken sternum: causes and symptoms

In most cases when people suffer from sternum fractures, they have been is some sort of a motor vehicle accident. Even though the sternum is quite a strong bone, a hit from a heavy object or a severe blow to the chest by blunt force are very much likely to cause sternum fracture. In case of a motor vehicle accident, people most often hit the steering wheel with their chest and that causes sternum fracture. People who participate in contact sports are highly likely to suffer a high-impact injury that will displace the sternum and push it back into the chest cavity. Such activities like rowing, weight lifting and even golf can put repeated pressure on the chest which can lead to sternum fracture. Agings cause bone density and that is why elderly people are more prone to suffer from sternum fracture.

Broken sternum: recovery and treatment

In order to determine whether a person suffers from a sternum fracture, he or she needs to undergo a medical checkup. An x-ray is done in almost every case. In case of a crack on the sternum a person will need to undergo a surgery. However, no surgery is needed if the crack is a small one. In most cases the patient will undergo a drug therapy. In most cases a few month is the expected time for a cracked sternum recovery. Rest is important for the recovery as well.