Long-term Outcome After Removal of Rib Stabilization Hardware in Patients With Blunt Chest Trauma

Inclusion Criteria: * Patient treated at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, USB for implantation and removal of rib fixation hardware * Blunt chest trauma/injuries to the thorax: Patient with blunt chest trauma (with or without polytrauma) before SSRF implantation and subsequent hardware removal * Rib fracture: At least one rib fracture (unilateral and/or bilateral incl. flail chest) on radiography chest imaging on time of SSRF implantation. Patients with rib fracture/non-union due to pseudoarthrosis are included. * Rib fixation material implantation and removal: Patient underwent surgery for rib fracture and implantation of at least one (partially or complete) rib fixation material (at any time point) with later hardware removal (partially or complete) (at any time point between 01.09.2017 and 30.09.2023) * Patient of all gender * Patient ≥18 years at time point of rib stabilization * Signed written informed consent prior to initiation of any protocol-specific activities/procedure * Patient will be included if a signed USB general research consent approval is available but patient cannot be reached or disagreed to come to the follow-up visit * Patient who died will be included if a signed USB general research consent approval is available Exclusion Criteria: * Patients who received re-osteosynthesis on the same day as hardware removal * Patients received conservative therapy or surgery with absorbable plates * On hardware implantation: * Penetrating chest trauma * O…