Annals of plastic surgery
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Annals of plastic surgery · Jan 2005
ReviewSternal nonunion: a review of current treatments and a new method of rigid fixation.
Sternal nonunion as the result of cardiac intervention or trauma remains a morbid condition with serious sequelae. Patients often report pain with breathing, coughing, and/or movement. The authors present 6 patients that were diagnosed with sterile sternal nonunion after cardiac procedure (4) or trauma (2). ⋯ There was no incidence of subsequent infection. Pain completely resolved in all patients. All wounds healed to completion, and bone healing was assessed clinically with the absence of instability and pain and follow-up chest radiographs.