Cor Vasa 2010, 52(5-6):314-317 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2010.082

Reconstruction of complicated sternal dehiscence using transverse titanium AO plates and spongioplasty

Martin Kaláb^1,*, Martin Molitor², Vladimír Lonský¹, Kateřina Maderová¹, Josef Novotný³

¹ Kardiochirurgická klinika, Fakultní nemocnice Olomouc a Lékařská fakulta Univerzity Palackého v Olomouci

² Oddělení plastické chirurgie, Fakultní nemocnice Olomouc

³ Radiodiagnostické oddělení, Vojenské nemocnice Olomouc, Česká republika

We present the case of a female patient after left-side mastectomy for carcinoma with subsequent actinotherapy, who had a myocardial revascularization procedure using bilateral internal mammary artery harvest.
Wound healing was complicated with deep sternal infection with three attempts at closing the dehiscence by soft tissue repair until complete healing. Later on, there was development of a serious degree of sternal mechanical instability associated with bone resorption and prominence of the right ventricular wall into bony fragments.
The paper describes the successful use of AO plate osteosynthesis combined with bone tissue replacement by spongioplasty to achieve definitive closure and stabilization of the chest wall.

Keywords: Sternotomy dehiscence; AO osteosynthesis; Spongioplasty

Published: May 1, 2010  Show citation