Acute Diaphragmatic Injuries Associated with Traumatic Rib Fractures: Experiences of a Major Trauma Centre and the Importance of Intra-Pleural Assessment.

Our series of patients demonstrates a relationship between significant rib fractures and diaphragmatic injuries in trauma patients, and the diagnostic difficulties in identifying the condition. We found that the location of the rib fractures and the pattern of injury in patients with TDIs were much lower and posterolateral in the chest wall without a preference for laterality. We suggest using a thoracoscope in patients undergoing chest wall surgery post-trauma to aid in diagnosing this condition.