Which statement describes a flail chest?

• A. A Bruising at the site of injury
• B. A single rib fracture
• C. Multiple ribs are broken and allows the lungs to not expand properly
• D. The chest collapses completely

Answer: (C)

Flail chest happens when several consecutive ribs are fractured in two places, creating a free-floating segment of the chest wall. That unstable segment moves opposite to the rest of the chest during breathing (paradoxical movement) and this disrupts the normal expansion of the lungs, leading to poor ventilation. The statement describes this situation by noting multiple ribs are broken and the lungs don’t expand properly.

Bruising alone doesn’t cause chest-wall instability, a single rib fracture doesn’t produce a free-floating segment, and complete chest collapse isn’t the typical presentation of flail chest.