International Research Council on Biomechanics of Injury - IRCOBI Europe 2026, Munich (Germany). 09-11 September 2026
Summary:
Posterior rib fractures are clinically important because they are associated with severe thoracic trauma and increased risk of intrathoracic complications, yet their biomechanical etiology remains incompletely understood. This study investigated factors contributing to posterior rib fractures by combining three complementary data sources: selected real-world crash cases from RASSI and CIREN, computed tomography analyses of four PMHS that sustained posterior rib fractures in frontal impacts, and a parametric simulation study using the VIVA+ human body model. The real-world cases showed that posterior rib fractures may occur both after direct posterior loading and in crashes dominated by distributed thoracic compression without clear posterior contact. In the PMHS analyses, Hounsfield unit measurements at the costovertebral and costotransverse joints were generally higher than those of vertebral cancellous bone, and elevated values often coincided with fractured levels. In the simulations, increased stiffness at the rib-spine connections and intervertebral joints shifted strain toward rib regions closer to the spine and increased model-predicted rib fracture risk. These findings support the hypothesis that local thoracic stiffening may contribute to posterior rib fractures under compressive loading. The results are exploratory and support further validation using larger datasets and subject-specific modeling.
Spanish layman's summary:
El estudio combina casos reales, TC de PMHS y simulaciones VIVA+ para explorar fracturas costales posteriores. Sugiere que no requieren impacto directo: la compresión torácica y la rigidez local en uniones costovertebrales pueden desplazar deformaciones y aumentar el riesgo.
English layman's summary:
The study combines crash cases, PMHS CT analyses, and VIVA+ simulations to examine posterior rib fractures. Findings suggest they can arise without direct posterior impact: thoracic compression and local rib-spine stiffness may shift strain posteriorly and increase fracture risk.
Keywords: Injury mechanisms, Joint stiffness, Posterior rib fractures, Real-world frontal impacts, VIVA+.
Publication date: 09-Sep-2026.
Citation:
F.J. López-Valdés, M. Valdano, E. Jokubaityte, A. Palacios Weiss, C.J. Carpintero-Rubio, R. Govardhan, S. Baladaniya, J. Padmanaban, "Investigation of Risk Factors Contributing to the Occurrence of Posterior Rib Fractures", presented at International Research Council on Biomechanics of Injury - IRCOBI Europe 2026, Munich, Germany, 09-11 September 2026
IIT-26-199C
