Costal hook sign (flail chest)
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Gaillard F, Bell D, Costal hook sign (flail chest). Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 24 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-57330
rID:
57330
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Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Frank Gaillard had no recorded disclosures.
View Frank Gaillard's current disclosures
Last revised:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised Daniel J Bell had no recorded disclosures.
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2 times, by
2 contributors -
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Synonyms:
- Flail chest (costal hook sign)
The costal hook sign is a chest x-ray feature seen in some cases of flail chest. It represents the rotation of a fractured rib along its long axis, something that is only possible if a second fracture is present along its length, even if the second fracture is not visible 1.
References
- 1. Jackson A, Fields JM, Wong-You-Chong JJ. The costal hook: an indicator of occult flail segment in chest trauma. European journal of radiology. 13 (1): 69-71. Pubmed
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