9. Contusion and hematoma of the thoracic wall

The thoracic wall is supplied by the internal thoracic artery, which originates directly from the aorta and branches to the intercostal arteries before spreading to all ribs along both sides of the sternum. Bleeding may occur following rib fractures and the tearing of the thoracic wall muscles. As the thoracic wall has a large vascular supply, subcutaneous bleeding develops frequently, and this is more common in the elderly. Conservative treatment methods and blood transfusions, if required, are often sufficient for its management [26, 31].
