Chest wall injury is common as a result of major blunt trauma (for example, motor vehicle accidents). It varies in severity from minor bruising or an isolated rib fracture, to severe crush injuries ...

The chest wall is involved in over 50% of thoracic injuries. [2,3,4] Pain and edema can restrict thoracic excursions and limit adequate respirations, leading to atelectasis and impaired ventilation.

Using accessory muscles implies that the forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) is decreased to 30% of normal, which is usually between 1.0 and 1.5 liters per second. In such cases, a sitting ...