Sternal Fracturing: A Comparison of Fracture Patterns Caused by Sternal Compression and Blunt Force Trauma
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Authors
Pavlik, Miah A.
Issue Date
2012
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) can cause fracturing of the sternal bone.
This· is not generally considered dangerous, as most sternal fractures are benign. The
compression trauma caused to the sternal bone, however, can be compared to blunt force
trauma of the sternum. This research utilized twenty-four female sterna that had
undergone CPR. Nine of the sterna sustained fractures due to CPR. It was determined that
age is the only factor that can be used to predict the likelihood of a sternum to fracture.
The nine fractured sterna were then compared visually to a sternum that had undergone
blunt force trauma. The sterna with compression trauma fracturing proved to sustain even
fractures, the depth of the fracture and the amount of beveling were the same across the
fracture. This was in sharp contrast to the sternum that sustained blunt force trauma,
which caused uneven beveling and fracture depth across a single fracture. Future research
will be able to compare compression fractures with more common types of blunt force
trauma, such as seat belt injuries to further this study.
Description
v, 45 p.
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