Publication

A complete tear of the pectoralis major muscle from a seat belt injury

Journal Paper/Review - Apr 1, 2007

Units
PubMed
Doi

Citation
Gautschi O, Zellweger R. A complete tear of the pectoralis major muscle from a seat belt injury. European journal of emergency medicine : official journal of the European Society for Emergency Medicine 2007; 14:90-1.
Type
Journal Paper/Review (English)
Journal
European journal of emergency medicine : official journal of the European Society for Emergency Medicine 2007; 14
Publication Date
Apr 1, 2007
Issn Print
0969-9546
Pages
90-1
Brief description/objective

Rupture of the pectoralis major muscle is a rare injury that can result in both functional and cosmetic deficiency, with fewer than 150 cases reported in the literature. To date, the injury has been reported exclusively in men and is most common among weight lifters and high-performance athletes. The treatment of partial rupture is conservative, whereas in cases of total rupture surgical repair is advocated, particularly in young active patients. Here, we report the case of a complete proximal tear of the pectoralis major muscle from a seat belt injury sustained in a motor vehicle accident. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time such a case has been reported in the literature.