Stress fracture of the first rib in a weightlifter.

An isolated fracture of the first rib is rare. Stress fractures of the first rib have previously been reported in various sports and the mechanism of fractures of the first rib has been well documented. Stress fractures of the first rib have also been reported in laborers involved in heavy lifting. The course is insidious, and identification of the lesion is usually made on the basis of an incidental roentgenogram. No reported case of stress fracture of the first rib in a weightlifter has hitherto been available. This paper describes such a case for the first time.