Costochondral Separation

1
Costochondral Separation
By Danielle Lodics
2
Demographics

• Age 20
• Gender Female
• Sport Swimming
• PositionSprinter and Backstroke

3
Anatomy

• 12 ribs
• 10 ribs attach to sternum (true ribs)
• 2 are floating in front and attached to spine in
  back (false ribs)
• Sternum
• Manubrium
• Xiphoid Process (Zyphoid Process)
• Costal Cartilage

http//www.mc.maricopa.edu/dept/d10/asb/anthro2003
/origins/webanatomy/chest.html
4
Anatomy

• Costochondral Joints lie between the costal
  cartilage and the ribs.
• Ribs
• Costal Cartilage
• Costochondral Joint

http//www.med.umich.edu/1libr/aha/aha_ribinjur_sm
a.htm
5
Etiology of Injury

• Sneezing
• Blunt Force Trauma
• Coughing
• Lifting
• Throwing

http//topcondition.com/members/ribs.htm
6
Mechanism

• Blunt Force Trauma
• Running sprints in the gym
• Reached down to touch the baseline
• Girl next to her came up with elbow right into
  her chest

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Signs and Symptoms

• Immediate Pain
• Felt like the wind was knocked out of her
• Palpable deformity
• Swollen as result of deformity
• Pain in all ROMs
• Freestyle-hurt the most when practicing

8
Management

• Rehabilitation
• Ultrasound and Stim in bad location so wasnt
  used
• Taping also compromised because of location of
  injury
• Theraband exercises
• Physioball
• Walk outs as tolerated
• Crunches on ball

• No X-rays or MRI
• Ice
• Rest
• Tried modifying stroke
• Used fins in practice to keep her legs up more in
  the water

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Deviation from the Norm

• A swimmer with a rib injury
• Not likely for a swimmer to have this kind of
  injury
• Costochondral Separations take twice as long to
  heal than rib fractures.

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Summary

• Costochondral Separation is when the rib
  separates away from the costal cartilage
• Athlete was hit with elbow and separate her
  costochondral joint
• Happened in a non-contact sport during sprints at
  practice
• Takes twice as long to heal
• With proper management and rest, the injury
  should heal with time.

11
Works Cited
Magee, David J. Orthopedic Physical Assessment.
4th ed. Philadelphia Saunders, 2002. 121-124.
Rib Anatomy. 2002. MCC Anthropology. 18 Apr.
2005 lthttp//www.mc.maricopa.edu/dept/d10/asb/ant
hro2003/origins/webanatom y/chest.htmlgt. Ryan,
Jeff, and Chad Starkey. Evaluation of Orthopedic
and Athletic Injuries. Philadelphia F.A. Davis
Company, 2002. 369-371. The Ribs. 2001. Personal
Trainer from Top Condition.com. 18 Apr.2005
lthttp//topcondition.com/members/ribs.htmgt.
University of Michigan Health System. 2004.
McKesson Corporation. 18 Apr. 2005 lthttp//www.m
ed.umich.edu/1libr/aha/aha_ribinjur_sma.htmgt.