Fragility fracture of the fourth rib in a patient with a cardiac pacemaker: an uncommon case

Purpose In patients with a cardiac pacemaker, pocket-related complications such as nerve impairment or bone fractures are infrequent. We present a man with a fracture of the 4th rib several months after pacemaker implantation. Case presentation A 74-year-old man, with a left prepectoral pacemaker implanted 13 months ago, presented complaining of chest pain. The pain started after a sudden trunk rotation and right arm flexion movement with a crack. There was tenderness to palpation and crepitation over the left upper ribs. Computed tomography identified a non-displaced fracture line in the anterior aspect of the left 4th rib. After kinesiotaping and activity restriction, pain alleviated. Conclusion Pacemaker implantation might have caused shoulder dysfunction and pectoral tightness resulting in reduced flexibility of the trunk. Consequently, a reaching motion of the arm with a trunk rotation might have directed rotational force vectors towards the osteopenic left 4th rib causing a fragility fracture. In elderly with a pacemaker, osteopenia and concomitant sarcopenia may create a predisposition to this atypical complication.

Automated summary

In patients with a cardiac pacemaker, pocket-related complications such as nerve impairment or bone fractures are infrequent, but rare complications like rib fractures several months after implantation may occur. Pacemaker implantation may cause shoulder dysfunction and pectoral tightness, resulting in reduced trunk flexibility and potentially leading to fragility fractures like in the case presented.