Unusual site of spontaneous first-rib fracture: case report.

Spontaneous fractures of the first rib are uncommon and are usually thought to be associated with a malignant process. However, fatigue fractures of the first rib are being encountered increasingly in association with various physical activities. Typically, the fractures occur at the subclavian groove, but in the 48-year-old woman described in this report the fracture was unexpectedly situated in the posterior portion of the rib and was the result of snow shovelling, which was a new activity for the patient.