Apparently it's possible to dislocate a rib...

[Rasta]

I found this out last week, when I was rolling in class. My partner was trying to pull my arm behind my back, and I attempted to roll out of it and ended up getting stacked. It wasn't an especially hard stack, but totally folded me in half. I felt something "move" in my midsection that wasn't supposed to, and tapped out quickly. It was mildly uncomfortable for the rest of class, but nothing to write home about.
Fast forward to Sunday, and I'm rolling w/ a friend who's a doorman at the bar I work at. He's a pretty stout guy at about 6', and thick as can be. He doesn't really have formal training, but he's got a fair amount of street fighting experience. His forearms are massive, as is his neck. It was my first time rolling w/ him and I was wondering what I could use in the BJJ repotoire to submit him. My only real option was an armbar from guard. Any chokes I tried wouldn't work on his thick neck.
When I was trying to extend his arm for the armbar, he stacked me w/ all of his 250lbs. and I felt the "movement" again. This time, the rib dislocated and stayed out. I tapped out super-fast, and my friend got up, and as I stretched out, holding my rib I felt it shift back into place.

Daaaaaaammmmnnnn! It was a pretty intense and weird, searing pain.

So needless to say, I'm taking a break from my BJJ/Thai-boxing for a few weeks. The doc recommended six weeks, or till the pain stops. Right now it hurts mostly when I take deep breathes, and when I lie on my side.

Apparently the ribs are connected to the sternum by a bunch of cartalidge and ligaments, and the bone can slip out much like the ball-in-joint socket can.

I was wondering if anyone else had had this type of injury? I'm most interested in what it was like returning after healing. Is it something that re-injures easily? Or can I expect to be able to recover fully as long as I take care of it?

Getting stacked is as much a part of BJJ as working guard. I don't want to be "afraid" of getting stacked, and would appreciate any feedback.

Thanks

[eXcessiveForce]

I broke my zyphoid process, the little bone between the rib cages at the bottom of the sternum. any pressure at all and I would tap. Even laying on my stomach or my Gf leaning on me caused problems.

It took quite awhile for it to get better, I don't know if it will happen again or not but I could move it around for about 2 months after it happened.

[EmptyneSs]

im not too sure, but doesnt anything that gets popped out once generally tend to pop out agian and again? i think ur gonna have this problem forever now

[Rasta]

I'm hoping that's not the case, EmptyneSs, but that's what I'm worried about.

Hey eXcessive, do you still have to tap when there's a little pressure, or has it gotten manageable over time?

Thanks for the input

[eXcessiveForce]

it's managable. but still can cause problems on occasion.

[kengar]

Originally Posted by EmptyneSs

im not too sure, but doesnt anything that gets popped out once generally tend to pop out agian and again? i think ur gonna have this problem forever now

Yes, though a rib might not fall into this area. My shoulder likes to get a slight dislocation every other week. I had a rib dislocated and after a couple days it ended cramping up the muscles in my back. Than sucked, but have it popped back in.

[ChunGi]

Originally Posted by eXcessiveForce

I broke my zyphoid process, the little bone between the rib cages at the bottom of the sternum. any pressure at all and I would tap. Even laying on my stomach or my Gf leaning on me caused problems.

It took quite awhile for it to get better, I don't know if it will happen again or not but I could move it around for about 2 months after it happened.

Dude! You go the doctor for that, breaking a zyphoid can be fatal if it punctures ur lungs, whihc it has a tendency to do.

[eXcessiveForce]

yeah I know, that's why it sucks, Probably one day I'll have to look into getting it cut down or something.

THe doc was like, that's not a very common injury. Then he said, you know i've never even seen it before.

filled me with confidence let me tell ya.