American Board of Surgery Qualifying Exam (ABS QE) Practice Test

Disable ads (and more) with a membership for a one time $2.99 payment

Prepare for the ABS QE with flashcards and multiple-choice questions. Each question provides hints and explanations to enhance understanding. Start your journey to becoming a certified surgeon and tackle your exam with confidence!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.

Left rib fractures (8-12) are typically associated with which organ injury?

Spleen injury
Stomach injury
Colon injury
Liver injury

The correct answer is: Spleen injury

Left rib fractures, specifically those in the lower ribs (8-12), are commonly associated with splenic injury due to the anatomical position of the spleen. These ribs protect not only the spleen but also the left upper quadrant of the abdomen where the spleen resides. When rib fractures occur in this area, especially from blunt trauma such as a fall, motor vehicle accident, or sports injury, the splenic tissue can be lacerated or contused. The relationship between the ribs and the spleen makes this association significant in trauma evaluations, where the presence of rib fractures leads clinicians to carefully assess for potential splenic damage. The other organs listed, such as the stomach, colon, and liver, are more typically associated with rib fractures in other areas or situations that do not directly correlate with the mechanism of injury related to lower left rib fractures. For instance, liver injuries are generally associated with right upper quadrant trauma and rib fractures, while colon injuries usually arise from more substantial blunt trauma or penetrating injuries that do not specifically correlate with lower rib fractures.