Fracture of the Costal Cartilage: Presentation, Diagnosis, and Management.

A 52-year-old woman sustained a fracture of the left 7th costal cartilage after a ski injury. She presented complaining of painful clicking over the area. Initial imaging studies were negative for fracture; however, 3-dimensional reconstruction of a chest computed tomography scan, formatted to costal cartilage, revealed the fracture. She was offered and underwent surgical fixation of the fracture with a plate and 4 screws using a biaxial, convergent construct. Postoperatively, her symptoms resolved. In this case report, we review the rationale for fixation of costal cartilage, including a summary of previous literature pertaining to this relatively rare thoracic injury.