Numerical investigation of the sternoclavicular joint modeling technique for improving the surgical treatment of pectus excavatum

Abstract

It is now common to perform the Nuss procedure as a surgical treatment for pectus excavatum. As several types of detailed surgical methods exist as part of the Nuss procedure, studies are currently being conducted to verify their relative superiority via computerized biomechanical methods. However, no studies have considered the influence of sternoclavicular joints on the simulations of the Nuss procedure. Accordingly, this study aims to demonstrate the influence of these joints by comparing the clinical data with the finite element analysis data. Scenarios were set by classifying the movement of the joints based on the constraints of translation and rotation in the coordinate plane. The analyses were performed by applying the set scenarios to the constructed finite element model of a chest wall. The sternal displacement, Haller index, and equivalent stress were obtained from the analysis, and the data were compared with the data of the postoperative patient. When the translation of the anterior direction on the chest wall was constrained, the result obtained thereof was found to be similar to those obtained in the actual surgery. It is suggested that more accurate results can be obtained if the influence of the sternoclavicular joints is considered.