<unk>  is a life-threatening medical condition that occurs when a segment of the rib cage breaks due to trauma and becomes detached from the rest of the<unk>  wall. Two of the symptoms of<unk>  are<unk>  pain and shortness of breath. It occurs when multiple adjacent ribs are broken in multiple places, separating a segment, so a part of the<unk>  wall moves independently. The number of ribs that must be broken varies by differing definitions: some sources say at least two adjacent ribs are broken in at least two places, some require three or more ribs in two or more places. The<unk>  segment moves in the opposite direction to the rest of the<unk>  wall: because of the ambient pressure in comparison to the pressure inside the lungs, it goes in while the rest of the<unk>  is moving out, and vice versa. This so-called "paradoxical breathing" is painful and increases the work involved in breathing.<unk>  is usually accompanied by a pulmonary contusion, a bruise of the lung tissue that can interfere with blood oxygenation. Often, it is the contusion, not the<unk>  segment, that is the main cause of respiratory problems in people with both injuries. Surgery to fix the fractures appears to result in better outcomes.
Flail chest
Diaphragmatic rupture
Hemothorax
Urinothorax
Pulmonary contusion
Chylothorax
Pneumopericardium
Hydropneumothorax