[The surgical treatment of thoracic wall instability].

Cardinal symptom of the instability of thorax with paradoxical respiration is the irreversible respiratory insufficiency. The lethality is over 50%. For the treatment often besides the longterm respiration with the well known complications the operative stabilisation of the chest wall by osteosynthesis of the ribs by small plates. Thereby the mortality of this severe injury can be reduced significantly, if there is a good indication for osteosynthesis.