Materials and Methods: This retrospective observational study included 486 adult patients with thoracic trauma, categorized into young adults (18-64 years, n = 366) and geriatric patients (≥65 years, n = 120). Data on demographics, trauma etiology, thoracic pathologies, and concomitant injuries were analyzed using univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression models to identify independent
Results: Significant differences were observed in trauma mechanisms; ground-level falls were the predominant mechanism in the geriatric group (p < 0.001), while high-energy mechanisms such as penetrating trauma, assault, and falls from height were significantly more frequent in young adults (p < 0.001). Regarding specific injuries, rib fractures were significantly more common in the geriatric group (p < 0.001). Conversely, pneumothorax and pneumomediastinum were significantly more prevalent in the young adult group (p < 0.001 and p = 0.01, respectively). Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that geriatric age was an independent risk factor for the development of rib fractures (OR: 3.99; p = 0.01) and was independently associated with a decreased risk of pneumothorax (OR: 0.36; p = 0.01).
Conclusions: This study revealed that thoracic injury patterns vary with age. Geriatric age is independently associated with rib fractures, whereas pneumothorax and pneumomediastinum are more frequent in young adults. These findings highlight the importance of considering age-specific injury
