HOPE FOR THOSE WITH STERNAL PAIN AND CLICKING

Over 500,000 cases of open-heart surgery are performed annually in the United States. These typically involve “cracking the chest” to gain access to the heart. When the sternum is split down the middle in this way, the bone then needs to be closed. Typically, this is done using wire to wrap or circle the halves of the sternum together. 

In some cases, however, the bone fails to come back together and heal properly, a complication known as nonunion. This can lead to pain, discomfort, and instability in the patient.  Patients have better sternal healing and reduced sternal pain with the use of rigid plate fixation when this occurs. 

WHAT IS STERNAL FIXATION?

Similar to the way other bones in the body can be put back together with plates and screws, sternal fixation involves using multiple plates and screws to secure the two halves of the sternum back in place. These plates can be contoured and cut to fit the specific area, so the fixation is unique to each patient.

WHY WOULD SOMEONE NEED STERNAL FIXATION?

Imagine you broke your leg, and the doctors saw the leg was broken and apart and told you “just go ahead and walk on it.” Impossible! So why would we think its okay to let you keep using your arms and breathing with a broken sternum!