Do I have a sternum fracture?

I must say that you are probably right.
Sternal fractures are often seen in association of deceleration injuries or direct blows to the chest.
One special thing about them is that they often get by unnoticed because of special anatomy look.
The sternum has 3 parts: the manubrium, the body, and the xiphoid process. So there are two joints between those three parts and two possible fractures.
These kinds of fractures can lead to some very serious complications like associated thoracic, mediastinal, or cardiac injury.
Trauma patients presenting to a hospital with sternal fractures are usually admitted for monitoring of associated blunt cardiac injury, but also for difficulties with breathing, like in your case.
I suggest you to contact your GP or your pulmologist immediately to determine the right diagnosis because, like I said, there can be several complication of your problem.
Good luck!

Hello. I must agree with you. Sternum fracture generally is associated with deceleration injuries and blunt anterior chest trauma. Those are the fractures that usually occur in the body or the manubrium according to several studies. My friend had a car accident a couple of days ago and the diagnose was the same. Doctors were not able to see this on the first check (they haven't done anything else because the accident was not so serious, thank God) and some small complications occurred. In case to avoid that, I suggest you to contact your doctor again and tell your doctor if you feel any kind of pain. Anyway, good news is that most patients recover completely over a period of several weeks. Good luck.

hi, i had a car crash 8 days ago and was taken to hospital, where after several x-rays i was told i had a fractured sternum, i was kept in overnight in the high dependancy unit where i was given pain killers for the pain.
the folloing morning after a very painful night the doctors came around to see me and i was told i could go home as there was nothing they could do for me 8-| ive been home 7 days now and im in more pain now than when i first had the accident, i cant sleep at night, cough, laugh, walk upright, i have to hold my breasts to help suport myself when i walk, and the other night i sneezed and im sure ive done even more damage, what am i to do??? ? :-( .................elaine

This is something all of us have had to deal with. Doctors told me that the pain would subside in about six months but it actually took longer than that.
I too had problems with breathing, laughing, sleeping, etc. I reckon it is something you need to go through until the sternum heals. It usually takes at about 4 weeks. It all depends of course on your age and health I suppose.

Hi My name is Ashley . I fractured my sternum plsying baseball. I 'm having trouble breathing. I also have Asthma. I hurts really bad. It feels like I'm haing a heart attack.

I was assaulted approx 2wks ago, in which I was shoved in the sternum forcefully. I sustained a bad fx of the wrist. Had to have surg. My question is that the initial xray of my cxr did not show any fractures. My chest is still very painful. It hurts much to laugh, cough or any movement that involves my chest. Also, every now and then I feel a very odd popping sensation. What do you think. reapeat an xr?

ive also had a sernl fracture and it is very easily looked over see a cardiologist as soon as you can when it broke it hit me in the heart and casued an irregular rythim of my heart which was looked over by 4 EKG's i also feel a weird popping of the chest when stretch it out stay away from anything that would make you sneeze best of luck to anyone with a broken sternum

i was in a car accident over a week ago, been to the hospital and doctors, doctor started mumbling bout maybe broken sternum but not worth xray as dont change treatment, iboprofen and paracetamol.

i feel like no one cares as they think im after whip cash.

i want the pain to go away not bloody money,

cant wear a bra, cant lie down, cant laugh, walk upstairs, yawn, sneeze(oh the pain), and as for yesterdays bout of hickups. fix me (or at least someone actually care that its broke and tell me)

i also have had a few cracks or pops coming from my chest, not nice apparently that is just more proof that its broke

I didn't just fracture my sternum, but literally broke it. One of my bones is overlapping the other. I was in a very bad rollover accident in June of 2008. I wasn't prescribed any pain medication, the doctors told me that any pain reliever would work. I eventually made it through the "healing" stage, although my bone is still over lapped. I returned back to work (as a waitress) about a month later feeling much better. It is now almost January of 2009 and lately I have been having very sharp chest pains at my sternum and it hurts to take deep breaths/arch my shoulders. It feels like my bone is actually sticking out even more. Could it be getting worse? I went to the hospital that originally took care of me and they couldn't help much, especially considering they "can't find" my initial x rays.. even though they printed me off a copy of it when I left the hospital as a souvenir. What should I do?

Last week I was smashed between the hind end of a horse and a stall door. I was standing sideways when it happened. I went to the ER the next morning because the pain was so bad. They said I had bruised ribs and it looked to be a hairline fracture of the sternum. The ribs are getting better everyday but the sternum feels like it's getting worse. It hurts to sit, breathe, laugh, talk, etc. It feels like something is pushing on me when I sit down... like blocking my airway. I came to this site because I'm not sure what to do. The DR. in the ER basically said "if you do something and it hurts, don't do it." Gee, thanks. From the other posts I've read, it sounds like this takes a long time to heal. any insights would be great.

It sounds like a lot of people are experiencing similar symptoms as me. I was in a rollover car accident on 12/10/06. I was a passenger in the extended cab part of a Ford Ranger. I was sleeping so I wasn't wearing a seat belt. I woke up when the driver had fallen asleep and went off the road. He over corrected and we struck a guard rail. The truck then rolled over the guard rail, I was ejected from the vehicle and I landed on the side of the interstate approximately 50 feet from where the truck came to rest. I do not know how I came out of the truck, either the front windshield or the back window. I guess I'll never know. I woke up as on a stretcher being lifted into a helicopter. I could hear and feel the wind and noise from the helicopter blades. I sustained several injuries, I had 2 vertebrae with compression fractures, 1 vertebrae with a broken transverse process, fractured clavicle, fractured pelvis, staples on my head, several fractured ribs, a laceration on my left arm and a fractured sternum. It has been over 2 years since the accident and I feel pretty good. I still have mild back pain but worse is pain in my sternum. It still hurts when I sneeze, cough, laugh, etc. I feel like I will just deal with this pain for the rest of my life, but I feel that it is a small complication to deal with, compared to what could have been, like death or paralysis. Does anyone know if I should be concerned about my sternum?

I know exactly how you feel. I was in a car accident a little over a week ago and 2 xray have been taken with no evidence of a sternal fracture, but the last ER doc stated I have all the symptoms so he thinks the Xray is missing it. He told me to call an orthopedic surgeon which I did and they abruptly said it will take 8 weeks to heal and do not take too much of the pain meds. My new PCP thinks I am just addicted to pain meds as I have other health problems. I am going back to see my old PCP on Monday who is not under my insurance but I think will at least care. I have to get my disability forms signed by someone. I cried today because I felt like no one cared. I am a home health nurse and am getting a very good understanding of what my patients go through. I just want help too, but it seems like when they can not do anything medical they blow you off. I am in pain!

Hi,

I was in a really bad car crash when a taxi driver pulled in front of me, when I was doing 60mph. I felt the pain in my chest straight away. Was in hospital 4 days for pain relief and the A+E overlooked fractured sternum but consultant confirmed it with more x-rays. After discharge from the hospital I was given advice that it had to heal itself which is best. It is really painful, now its 3 weeks after the crash. I can't move, cough, sneeze, sleep or drive without feeling pain. It hurts like hell. I have managed to suppress sneezes but I did sneeze the other day. I felt like crying.
A big fat cheque through the post for compensation will hopefully ease the pain.

Hi guys,

I was sleeping the back beat of the car 2 days ago, I woke up on the sound of stones and metal crashing on the road. I opened my eyes only just to realize that the car is flipping over. I was feeling terrible bumps on every flip, I am not sure how many times the car flipped but my colleague who was driving said he was driving at 140 km/h. Obviously from watching him driving earlier, I noticed that 30% of the times he is not looking towards the road, instead of looks left, right, to the radio, to the passenger... just like a slow stupid driver who thinks the car is on auto pilot. Anyways, I was praying that the bumps stop and the car stops flipping. It took around 5 or 6 flips to stop finally.

We went to a kind of cheap government hospital that only provided pain killers. Later the next day, I made x rays all over my body, echo to the heart... The doctor said that I have a sternum fracture. (yay, great!) and they gave me some kind of pain killers and sent me back home with an appointment 3 days later to check on my strained foot!!!

They've done 2 echos for the heart to see anything abnormal, I haven't received the final report yet but I will get it tomorrow in my second appointment.

The most terrible feeling is getting out of bed from the laying down position to standing position, oh god... feels impossible. And from standing position to laying down position is a bit less intense but kills me as well so I am trying many nights to sleep sitting without having to hear the cracks and feel this terrible pain while trying to lay in bed or get up of it.

If anyone knows how much time it needs to get back to regular activities, please share the information. The doctor said I need 1 month to get back to normal activities for my sternum and 6 weeks for my foot!! (how odd, i don't feel bad in my foot). I play soccer and swim alot... now I guess i need to take a long break for that. Please share your info when the recovery would happen...



Thanks