Blunt thoracic trauma represents a significant portion of trauma admissions to hospitals in the United States. These injuries are encountered by physicians in many specialities such as emergency medicine, pediatrics, general surgery and thoracic surgery. Accurate diagnosis and treatment improves the chances of favorable outcomes and it is desirable for all treating physicians to have current knowledge of all aspects of blunt thoracic trauma. Cardiothoracic surgeons often treat the most severe forms of blunt thoracic injuries and we review the aspects of blunt thoracic trauma that are pertinent to the practicing cardiothoracic surgeon.