Cracked rib won’t injure internal organs unlike broken rib which is highly possible to injured internal organs, muscle tissue and blood vessels. Broken rib complication and risk vary depending on which part of the ribs has been broken and how badly the rib is broken.
Broken Upper Rib Complications
- A broken rib on the first 4 ribs on the top of your ribcage can damage your aorta and some major blood vessel.
Broken Middle Rib Complication
- A broken rib on the middle part of your ribcage can damage your lungs.
Broken Lower Rib Complication
- A broken rib on the last 2 ribs on the lower part of your ribcage can damage your kidney, spleen and liver.
Chronic Chest Pain
- Any organ damage or injured in the chest will cause pain, including the heart, lungs, blood vessels, muscles and nerves.
Lung Contusion
- A damage or injured lung will result to a pulmonary/lung contusion, which cause bleeding into the lung tissue. The blood can prevent oxygen from passing from the lung into the bloodstream.
Spleen Injury
- Damage or injured spleen will cause left upper abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and difficulty of breathing. The spleen is a fragile organ, spleen removes old red blood cells from the bloodstream and produces white blood cells.
