title: Complete cleft sternum: classification and surgical repair.
abstract: Primary surgical repair of a complete cleft sternum in a 31-day-old infant is reported. Early surgical repair is recommended because it is usually simple, achieves good results and primary repair is usually feasible. Alternative procedures are discussed and compared with primary repair. The literature is reviewed and a clinical classification of the anomaly is proposed.
mesh_terms: D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008722:Methods; D013249:Sternum / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000601:surgery; D013997:Time Factors