Rib question, doctors who know, or people who have experience...?!
Question: My friend just got in a terrible car accident. She's 73 but walked and ran like a 40-year old. All of her ribs on one side are overlapping and fractured in half. She's in the hospital. How can ribs heal?? Or can they?
Answers: My friend just got in a terrible car accident. She's 73 but walked and ran like a 40-year old. All of her ribs on one side are overlapping and fractured in half. She's in the hospital. How can ribs heal?? Or can they?
I will try to explain as best as I can. Of course the age is an issue although this does not sound like a typical 73 yr old. Ribs do heal on there on, in this case it will take around 12 or more wks , where just fractured ribs would heal completely in about 6 wks. As a retired nurse, we used to rap a tight compression bandage in th area of fraction and they have not done that for some 20+yrs. I do know that mental well-being and the human drive to get better is of great importance. The main issue is to watch for clinical depression especially in this active of a person and to make it known to family and friends and especailly the M.D. A person with a long recovery can experience a chemical change in the brain that causes clinical depression especially an active being. I wish you the best also in medical care.
Just like any bone. Slowly!
ribs are bones and will heal just like a broken leg or arm would. If the bones are overlapping and broken in more than one place she may have to have surgery to set them with screws or plates, but generally with rib fractures they heal on their own.
They will heal slowly, it will take time and be painful. She may need surgery to set the bones in the right direction. The doctors will make sure she heals well. Good luck.