Chest wall injury-trauma grading

Chest wall injuries are graded I-V with increasing severity having higher grading.

Grade I

• Chest wall contusion (any size)
• Laceration to skin/subcutaneous
• Rib fracture (<3 ribs, closed)
• Clavicle fracture (non-displaced, closed)

Grade II

• Laceration to skin, subcutaneous and muscle
• Rib fractures 3 adjacent ribs, closed)
• Clavicle fracture (open or displaced)
• Sternum fracture (non-displaced, closed)
• Fracture of scapular body

Grade III

• Laceration, full thickness including pleura
• Sternum fracture (open, displaced or flail)
• Rib fractures (unilateral flail segment <3 ribs)

Grade IV

• Laceration/Avulsion of chest wall tissues with underlying rib fractures
• Rib fractures with unilateral flail chest with 3 ribs involved

Grade V

• Rib fractures resulting in bilateral flail chest

Note that the grading is increased by one grade for bilateral injuries.

References

Moore EE, et al. Organ injury scaling III: chest wall, abdominal vascular, ureter, bladder and urethra. J trauma. 1992;33:337-8.Trauma scoring. Trauma.org. Available at http://www.trauma.org/archive/scores/ois-cheswall.html (Accessed 23 April 2008)

[Outline]

• Information
• Grade I
• Grade II
• Grade III
• Grade IV
• Grade V
• References