Surgical Fixation of the Coronal Separated Sternal Fracture in the Anterior Flail Chest using ZipFix^TM and SternaLock Plating System

Article information

Trauma Image Proced. 2018;3(2):68-71

Publication date (electronic) : 2018 November 30

doi : https://doi.org/10.24184/tip.2018.3.2.68

Dae Sung Ma, Kang Kook Choi, Sung Jin Kim, Seok Joo, Sung Youl Hyun, Yang Bin Jeon

Department of Trauma Surgery, Gil Medical Center, Gachon University College of Medicine, Incheon, Republic of Korea

Correspondence to: Yang Bin Jeon, Department of Trauma Surgery, Gachon University Gil Medical Center, 21 Namdong-daero 774beon-gil, Namdong-gu, Incheon 21565, Korea Tel: 82-32-460-8316, Fax: 82-32-460-2372, E-mail: junyb@gilhospital.com

Received 2018 October 5; Revised 2018 October 17; Accepted 2018 October 25.

Abstract

A 57-year-old male was injured in a pedestrian traffic accident. He was diagnosed with anterior flail chest with concomitant multiple injury. We report the successful treatment of traumatic comminuted sternal fracture using the SternaLock plating and ZipFixTM system.

Keywords: Sternum; Fracture; Fixation

CASE

A 57-year-old male injured in a pedestrian traffic accident was transferred to our Regional Trauma Center. Immediate intubation was performed due to stupor mentality and respiratory distress at presentation. After resuscitation and physical examination, he was transferred to Trauma Intensive Care Unit. The chest computed tomography (CT) revealed multiple rib fractures at the bilateral anterior arch from 3rd to 6th ribs and comminuted fracture of the sternum (Fig. 1). He was diagnosed with anterior flail chest with concomitant injuries, i.e., fracture of the pedicle right at the 4th cervical spine, complex pelvic fracture including the right iliac wing, superior and inferior ramus of the bilateral pubis, sacrum ala, and intertrochanteric part of the right femur. On day 4 of hospitalization, rib CT was performed to evaluate sternum and rib fractures (Fig. 2). Five days later, surgical treatment was decided for the sternal fracture because weaning was still difficult despite reduced ventilator support and clear recovery of mental status. After a midline longitudinal incision between the 3rd and 5th costal notch, meticulous dissection was performed to expose healthy bones and 4th intercostal space. The DeBakey peripheral vascular clamp was used to carefully pass below the posterior segment, and then the Penrose tube was pulled and placed bilaterally (Fig. 3-1). Zipfix^TM (Synthes GmbH, Oberdorf, Switzerland) was placed after the cutting needle passed through the Penrose tube. Hematoma removal was sequentially performed between the fragment and approximation, and then the Zipfix^TM was tightened (Fig. 3-2). The 8-hole X plate of the SternaLockTM Blu (Biomet Microfixation Inc., Jacksonville, FL, USA) was used to transverse the fracture site (Fig.3-3). On postoperative day 2, the patient was successfully weaned from mechanical ventilation. Postoperative follow-up rib CT revealed complete approximation of the sternum (Fig. 4). No complaints associated with instability and wound problems were reported at the 3-month follow-up.

Fig. 1.

The initial chest CT, sagittal and coronal views

Fig. 2.

The preoperative rib CT scan showing a sternal fracture and anterior rib fractures.

Fig. 3.

Intraoperative findings.

Fig. 4.

Postoperative follow-up CT, three-dimensional reconstruction view of the sternum.

DISCUSSION

Traumatic sternal fractures have been known to occur in approximately 3%–8% of all patients with blunt trauma. Most of these fractures are conservatively treated, and surgical fixation management in selected cases is reportedly more effective and results in good progress [1].

In this case, the patient was diagnosed with anterior flail chest with concomitant multiple injuries involving the spine, extremities, pelvis, and bladder; thus, requiring multiple surgeries and long-term immobilization through bed rest. Moreover, despite conservative ventilation management, patients with anterior flail chest are expected to require longer mechanical ventilation.

There is no definitive optimal surgical fixation time of the sternum with anterior flail chest. However, management of anterior flail chest has been reported with only pneumatic stabilization that needed mechanical ventilation for 15.6 days, and among them, the patient with displaced sternal fracture required sternal fixation [5]. In our case, the patient needed sufficient time to confirm full mental status recovery and sternum and rib fracture evaluation because the initial chest CT showed unclear findings due to the presence of artifacts.

Several surgical techniques and options existed for anterior flail chest [2, 3]. In our case, the SternaLock^TM plating and ZipFix^TM systems were used because the posterior lower fragment of the fracture was separated from the anterior and remained only in thin layer; therefore, incomplete approximation and iatrogenic fracture were suspected.

The ZipFix^TM system is a cable-tie-based sternal closure system used to close the sternum after a median sternotomy during cardiac surgery. It is relatively flexible and provides low profile height over the sternal bone [4]. As in our case, it was considered to provide good reduction and approximation without risks of iatrogenic fracture for the thinner fragment in the coronal separated sternal fracture.

This technique is considered to be a feasible method to surgically fix this type of sternal fracture in anterior flail chest.

Notes

Conflict of Interest Statement

None of authors have a conflict of interest.

References

1. de Oliveira M, Hassan TB, Sebewufu R, Finlay D, Quinton DN. Long-term morbidity in patients suffering a sternal fracture following discharge from the A and E department. Injury 1998;29(8):609–12.

2. Guernelli N, Bragaglia RB, Briccoli A, Mastrorilli M, Vecchi R. Technique for the management of anterior flail chest. Thorax 1979;34(2):247–8.

3. Estremera G, Omi EC, Smith-Singares E. The modified Ravitch approach for the management of severe anterior flail chest with bilateral sternochondral dislocations: a case report. Surg Case Rep 2018;4(1):8.

4. Grapow MT, Melly LF, Eckstein FS, Reuthebuch OT. A new cable-tie based sternal closure system: description of the device, technique of implantation and first clinical evaluation. J Cardiothorac Surg 2012;7:59.

5. Nishiumi N, Fujimori S, Katoh N, Iwasaki M, Inokuchi S, Inoue H. Treatment with internal pneumatic stabilization for anterior flail chest. Tokai J Exp Clin Med 2007;32(4):126–30.

6. Pieracci FM, Coleman J, Ali-Osman F, Mangram A, Majercik S, White TW, et al. A multicenter evaluation of the optimal timing of surgical stabilization of rib fractures. J Trauma Acute Care Surg 2018;84(1):1–10.

Article information Continued

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0), which permits unrestricted noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.