title: Sternal plating to prevent malunion of transverse sternotomy in lung transplantation.
abstract: Sternal malunion can be a significant cause of morbidity in double-lung transplantation when it is performed through a thoracosternotomy or clamshell incision. Some patients experience increased pain with malunion and have delayed or decreased functional recovery. We propose a method of sternal plating to decrease the incidence of sternal malunion encountered with this incision. The transverse sternotomy can be rigidly fixed with two titanium interlocking plates during chest closure, a procedure that offers the potential for timely and consistent union of the sternum. The interlocking plate configuration also affords a unique quality to this closure; a pin securing the two plates can be quickly released allowing expedient access to mediastinal structures if emergent re-entry is necessary.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University Medical Center, Tucson, Arizona, USA. kgandy@mcw.edu
authors.forename: Kimberly L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Gandy
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Moulton
mesh_terms: D001860:Bone Plates; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016040:Lung Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013249:Sternum / Q000601:surgery*; D013529:Surgical Wound Dehiscence / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000517:prevention & control; D013908:Thoracotomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D014025:Titanium; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D014025:Titanium