Minimally Invasive Surgical Management of Chronic Cough-Induced Rib Fracture Non-Union: A Case Report

Objective: Rare disease Background: Nonunion of a rib fracture can cause chronic pain, and pharmacological pain management may lead to medication dependence. This report describes a 54-year-old man with a chronic cough and painful nonunion fracture of the left posterior 8th rib, managed with minimally invasive surgery and a rib splint. Case Report: A 54-year-old man presented with chronic cough-induced left chest wall pain. Three-dimensional chest computed tomography (CT) scan showed a nonunion of a fracture of the left posterior 8th rib. After medical management failure, we proposed a surgical approach with the aim to remove the tissue comprising the nonunion, release the nerve, and stabilize the bone stumps. To avoid the adverse effects of a large incision, we designed a minimally invasive strategy based on ultrasound fracture localization and the use of an intramedullary splint. The pain disappeared immediately after surgery. The patient was discharged in 24 hours. At 6-week followup, he was still asymptomatic, and a new CT scan reconfirmed the correct splint position. From the immediate postoperative evaluation until the last follow-up visit, he consistently reported full satisfaction. Conclusions: This report has highlighted the challenges of management of chronic pain in nonunion of a rib fracture, and has described the use of a minimally invasive surgical approach. In this single case, our tailored surgical strategy achieved definitive success in pain management, minimizing postoperative complications/adverse effects and avoiding the addition of pain medications despite a 24-hour hospital stay. Our goal is to share an alternative solution for colleagues facing similar cases.