Patient demographics and injury characteristics
| Demographics and injury characteristics | All patients n=21 |
| Age, average±SD, median, range | 68.5±16, 67, 34–98 |
| Gender—male, n (%) | 14 (66) |
| Mechanism of injury, n (%) | |
| Assault | 1 (5) |
| ATV accident | 2 (10) |
| Fall | 17 (81) |
| Motorcycle crash | 1 (5) |
| Subcutaneous emphysema, yes, n (%) | 11 (52) |
| HTX, yes, n (%) | 14 (67) |
| PTX, yes, n (%) | 12 (57) |
| ISS average±mean | 14±6 |
| MAX chest AIS score, mean±SD, median, range | 3.14±0.35, 3, 3–4 |
| # of rib fractures, mean±SD, median, range | 5.2±1.8, 5, 2–9 |
| # of ribs bicortically displaced, mean±SD, median, range | 1.3±1, 1, 0–4 |
| Rib clicking present, n (%) | 4 (19) |
| Chest tube before surgery, n (%) | 8 (38) |
AIS, abbreviated injury score; HTX, hemothorax; ISS, injury severity score; PTX, pneumothorax.