Sternal Fracture

Sternal fractures are rare yet potentially serious injuries in athletes. Few sports have a high risk of blunt trauma to the anterior chest wall, the main cause of most sternal fractures. Rapid deceleration injuries fall into this category, often resulting from motor vehicle accidents with the patient restrained. Such injuries are primarily seen in the trauma and emergency department setting, but the sports medicine physician should be aware of suspicious patient complaints associated with chest trauma. Awareness concerning sternal injuries may prevent missed ...