Fracture of the Costal Cartilage: Computed Tomography Assists Diagnosis

WC Torreggiani, ID Lyburn, F Thornton, MJ Lee

Hong Kong J Radiol 2001;4:274-6

Rib fractures are common and almost always involve the osseous component of a rib. They are typically diagnosed on plain film. Fractures of the costal cartilage are rare and are invisible on plain film. We describe a case in which computed tomography aided in the visualisation of a displaced cartilaginous fracture. To our knowledge, computed tomography-assisted diagnosis of a displaced costal fracture has not previously been described.