The distinction between a rib fracture or a cartilage tissue contusion can be determined by history, symptoms, physical examination, and imaging.
1. Medical history: history of chest trauma, time of injury, and course of injury.
2. Symptoms: soft tissue injury will cause local pain, swelling and bruising; while the pain caused by rib fracture is more serious than that of soft tissue injury, and the pain will be aggravated when taking a deep breath, coughing and moving.
3. Physical examination: if there is rib fracture, when palpating, the pressure pain is more serious than soft tissue injury; if there is obvious fracture, bone friction may also be felt.
4. Imaging examination: for example, X-ray film, CT, etc., can make a clear judgment on whether the rib fracture or soft tissue contusion.
Chest trauma, such as pain is serious, you can go to the hospital in time to consult the physician from the above aspects, the fracture or soft tissue injury analysis and judgment, and then take targeted treatment measures.