J Trauma
-
To establish whether the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) offset crash test ratings are linked to different mortality rates in real world frontal crashes. ⋯ After adjusting for occupant, vehicular, and crash factors, drivers of vehicles rated good by the IIHS experienced a lower risk of death in frontal crashes.
-
Rib fractures as a result of trauma are a relatively common injury. There is an increasing interest in the operative stabilization of these injuries. Absorbable fixation plates are an option for improved rib fracture treatment. The aim of this study was to review our plating failures and to create a numerical model of muscle forces on fractured ribs to identify the mechanism by which these rib fixations have failed. ⋯ This study indicates that the likely mode of failure of this absorbable plating system occurs on the posterior part of the rib, which correlates with the clinical failures seen.