Surgical treatment of sternal fracture due to trauma a case report

Abstract

A 55-year-old male was crushed by a car and admitted to a local hospital in a slightly dyspneic state. Due to complaint of increasing dyspnea and chest pain the patient was transferred to the Fujigaoka Hospital on the next morning. A chest roentgenogram revealed sternal and multiple rib fractures. As closed reduction of the sternum could not be accomplished, open reduction was performed immediately. Under endotracheal anesthesia, the fracture site was exposed through a vertical median skin incision which extended well above and below the fracture site. The sternal fracture was just beneath the sternal angle showing posterior overriding of the distal fragment, but bilateral internal thoracic vessels were not injured. Reduction and fixation were done easily using two sternal wires. © 1986, The Showa University Society. All rights reserved.