BACKGROUND Delayed sternal closure (DSC) after cardiac surgery is a therapeutic option in the treatment of the severely impaired heart in pediatric cardiac surgery. The results with the technique of DSC over a 4-year period are examined with regard to mortality and morbidity. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed records of 38 patients who had undergone DSC among 1100 congenital cardiac operati...

OBJECTIVE Sternal fracture is poorly characterised in children. The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the mechanism, radiological characteristics, and accompanying injuries of sternal fracture in children. METHODS The study was retrospective. The records of all children who underwent plain radiography of the sternum, or computed tomography of the thorax after trauma, over a 40 mo...

QUESTION Do trunk stabilisation exercises reduce sternal separation and pain, and improve the quality and control of the performance of tasks in individuals with chronic sternal instability? DESIGN Randomised crossover study with concealed allocation and intention-to-treat analysis. PARTICIPANTS Nine individuals with chronic sternal instability following a median sternotomy for cardiac surg...

Sternal foramina are a well-known variant anatomy of the sternum and carry the risk of life-threatening complications like pneumothorax or even pericardial/cardial punction during sternal biopsy or acupuncture. There have been numerous studies numerous studies examinimg prevalence of sternal foramina, but the study of the exact anatomical relationship to intrathoracic structures has received li...

STUDY OBJECTIVES Median sternotomy infections are a serious complication of cardiac surgery. The purpose of this study was to determine the patient characteristics and operative variables that predict incidence of sternal infection, and possibly its severity. DESIGN Univariate and multivariate retrospective analysis comparing patient, operative, and post-operative data in patients with and wi...

AIM The purpose of this study was to assess rates of and risk factors for deep sternal wound infection after coronary artery bypass grafting surgery. BACKGROUND Deep sternal wound infection is one of the most devastating complications of cardiac surgery, resulting in multiple operative and non-operative procedures and increased hospital costs. DESIGN A retrospective design using an existing...

OBJECTIVES We studied the influence of the number of sternotomy mechanical fixation points on deep sternal wound infection (DSWI). METHODS Between September 2007 and February 2011, 2672 patients underwent a standard peri-sternal wire closure following a median sternotomy for a first-time cardiac surgery. Data were collected during the study period. RESULTS The mean age of the patients was 6...

BACKGROUND To compare in a prospective randomized study Mersilene tape and standard metal wire for complications and pain upon sternal wound closure. METHODS Sixty-four patients scheduled for cardiac surgery were prospectively randomized to undergo sternal closure using either Mersilene tape (n=30) or standard metal wire (n=34). The intensity of postoperative pain from the chest wound was ass...

PURPOSE A new method to control bleeding from fragile, severely osteoporotic sternums in patients undergoing open heart surgery. DESCRIPTION From January 2006 and January 2007, we used orthopedic calcium phosphate cement in 11 patients to control sternal table bleeding. Each patient had greater than 35% of their sternal table surface missing and had associated bleeding after open heart surger...