Slipping-rib syndrome.

A survey of 46 patients with the slipping-rib syndrome shows that it is a condition which affects mainly middle-aged people. It is equally common in men and women. The main symptom is upper abdominal pain, equally common on either side and occasionally bilateral. The pain is precipitated by movement and certain postures and is faithfully reproduced by pressure at one or more points on the costal margin. The cause of the "slipping rib" is not known. Symptoms are relieved by reassurance and in some cases by injection of local anaesthetic into painful sites.