부산대학교 도서관

Abstract Rib fractures represent a common injury type due to blunt chest trauma, affecting hospital stay and mortality especially in elderly patients. Factors promoting rib fragility, however, are little investigated. The purpose of this in vitro study was to explore potential determinants of human rib fragility in the elderly. 89 ribs from 13 human donors (55–99 years) were loaded in antero-posterior compression until fracture using a material testing machine, while surface strains were captured using a digital image correlation system. The effects of age, sex, bone mineral density, rib level and side, four global morphological factors (e.g. rib length), and seven rib cross-sectional morphological factors (e.g. cortical thickness, determined by μCT), on fracture load were statistically examined using Pearson correlation coefficients, Mann–Whitney U test as well as Kruskal–Wallis test with Dunn-Bonferroni post hoc correction. Fracture load showed significant dependencies (p