Costochondral changes in the chest wall after the Nuss procedure: ultrasonographic findings.
OBJECTIVE
The Nuss procedure is one of the most popular surgeries for correcting pectus excavatum. However, little is known regarding stress and strain on the deformed ribs after inserting the pectus bar. We used ultrasonography to investigate costochondral changes before and after the Nuss procedure.


METHODS
Ninety-five patients underwent the Nuss procedure between July 2007 and February 2008 at 2 institutions. Chest ultrasonography, specifically of the bones and cartilage, was performed 1 day before and 1 week after the operation.


RESULTS
Postoperatively, all patients showed various degrees of deformation from the second to sixth cartilages bilaterally. The cartilages were not fractured. Of these patients, 28 (29.5%) had significant changes, including acute angulation of the costochondral junction and rib fractures near the pectus bar. These changes were associated with increased age (P < .01) and the degree of postoperative sternum elevation (P < .01). The pectus index and sex were not significant predictors of rib damage.


CONCLUSIONS
The Nuss procedure created significant stress and strain over the deformed cartilages. Approximately 29% of the patients showed localized, self-limited costochondral changes via chest ultrasonography.
Zeng
Qi
Q
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Beijing Children Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Lai
Jin-Yao
JY
Wang
Xiao-Man
XM
Lee
Jhon-Liau
JL
Chia
Shu-Ti
ST
Wang
Chao-Jan
CJ
Chen
Jeng-Chang
JC
Chang
Pei-Yeh
PY
D000293:Adolescent; D002356:Cartilage / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005660:Funnel Chest / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation; D012253:Rib Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D013249:Sternum / Q000601:surgery*; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D035441:Thoracic Wall / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D013905:Thoracoplasty / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D014463:Ultrasonography; D055815:Young Adult