On October 1, 2021, Dr. Dennis Ashley, MUSM, Trauma Surgeon at Atrium health, will be presenting to the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) on a rib plating study paper titled “Prospective Randomized Trial of Metal vs Resorbable Plates in Surgical Stabilization of Rib Fractures.” This paper which was co-written by, Dudley B. Christie, III, MD, Eric L. Long, MD, Rajani Adiga, MS, Tracy J. Johns, MSN, Josephine Fabico-Dulin, RN, and Anne Montgomery, PhD – Atrium Health Navicent, Mercer University School of Medicine and Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center, looked at the differences between typical titanium rib plating done for broken ribs, and the newer resorbable plates (which integrate and dissolve into the bone).
The study reviewed the patient’s pain, opioid use, and quality of life at different time intervals and any rib displacement issues. The conclusion was that there are no differences in pain, opioid use, and quality of life between the two, but that resorbable plates are more difficult to implement (resorbable plates have to be hand-sewn to the plates around the ribs; titanium options screw into the rib quickly). Additionally, the study found that in about a quarter of the patients who received resorbable plates they moved, sometimes undoing the surgery completely.
To register for the AAST conference, please follow the link below.
Registration – The American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (aast.org)