Elastic Stable Chest Repair as a Means of Stabilizing the Anterior Chest Wall in Recurrent Pectus Excavatum with Sternocostal Pseudarthrosis: An Innovative Fixation Device

Abstract

Introduction Open surgical procedures in the treatment of pectus excavatum (PE) involve predetermined incisions in the parasternal cartilage and the bony ribs. For some procedures, the ribs are even dissected from the sternum for better sternal mobilization and thus better elevation of the funnel. Secure restoration of the sternocostal junction is then required, with the consequence that healing may be quite impaired. Patients may also subsequently suffer from sternocostal nonunion, for example, pseudarthrosis, and dislocated ribs, as well as pain and a recurrence of PE.

Materials and Methods Patients underwent another open surgery with revision of the pseudarthrotic sternocostal junctions and sufficient mobilization of the anterior chest wall, followed by an open reduction and internal fixation using Matrix Rib titanium plates (Synthes, Oberdorf, Switzerland). This procedure consisted of elevating the anterior chest wall and fixing the ribs to the sternum. In 2011 and 2012, we studied this procedure, known as elastic stable chest repair (ESCR), in a series of 20 patients. The patients underwent clinical and ultrasound examinations and X-ray radiographs after the operation, after 6 weeks, and at 3- and 12-month intervals.

Results Follow-up showed high patient tolerance, although a loose plate was observed in one patient and a broken plate in three patients. A stable union was achieved for all sternocostal pseudarthroses. PE improved highly significantly (p < 0.001), as the Haller index decreased from 3.6 (range: 2.7–6.6, standard deviation [SD]: 0.92) to 2.7 (range: 2.0–3.7, SD: 0.42). Pain in the anterior chest wall was significantly reduced after the operation in the majority of cases. All but one patient was mobilized already the day after the operation.

Conclusions ESCR in recurrent PE achieved functional stabilization of the anterior chest wall combined with satisfactory results.

Keywords

recurrent pectus excavatum - sternocostal pseudarthrosis - elastic stable chest repair (ESCR) - Matrix Rib low-profile titanium plate - pectus excavatum

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