title: Bone heterograft for chest wall reconstruction after sternal resection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Experimental and clinical results of chest-wall reconstruction with bone heterograft after sternectomy are reported.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seven dogs underwent subtotal or total sternectomy and reconstruction by implantation of a cortico-spongy bone heterograft sandwiched between two layers of a reabsorbable mesh.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No major postoperative complications were observed. The implant has shown favorable mechanical and biological properties. Six and 9 months after operation all animals were sacrificed and pathologic examination showed good incorporation of the implanted bone with only partial resorption of its spongiosa. Subsequently, 2 patients underwent sternal resection with different indications and reconstruction was achieved by the technique developed experimentally. No complications were observed. Excellent immediate chest-wall stabilization was obtained, persisting for a follow-up period longer than 6 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In comparison with autologous bone, sterile bone heterograft seems to offer the same mechanical properties with a significantly reduced surgical trauma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery (R), University of Perugia Medical School, Terni, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Puma
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Avenia
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ricci
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Guiducci
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fornasari
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Daddi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D016025:Bone Transplantation; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000601:surgery*; D010954:Plasmacytoma / Q000601:surgery*; D013249:Sternum / Q000601:surgery*; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous; D016896:Treatment Outcome