• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.291-297
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• 1998

Sternal fractures, once thought of as an uncommon phenomenon, have occurred with an increasing frequency, paralleling the incidence of motor vehicle accidents. The tremendous force necessary to cause sternal fracture and this bone's prominent position overlying major intrathoracic and mediastinal structures, have important implications in the assessment and treatment of patients. This evaluation is based on the review of 72 patients of traumatic sternal fracture treated at the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Seoul Adventist Hospital during the last 4 years from March 1993 to February 1997. The frequency was 12.2% of nonpenetrating chest trauma and average age was 43.2 years old. Automobile accidents(84%) and sternal body fractures(95.8%) with anterior displacements(19.4%) was the most common cause and fracture site. Increase of cardiac isoenzymes was more frequent and higher in sternal fracture than chest contusion but there was no relationship between the time to take normalization of them and the mode of trauma.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.12
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• pp.1398-1400
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• 1996

The cardiac anatomic position immediately beneath the sternum leaves it vulnerable to injury when this bone is fractured. Cardiac rupture, however, is uncommon but survival following this injury is rare. We report the case of one patient who survived right ventricle perforation resulting from sternal fracture. The patient developed signs of pericardial tamponade and was brought to the operating theatre immediately for surgery through the emergency anterolateral thoracotomy Perforation of th right ventricle was repaired by direct closure without cardiopulmonary bypass. We believe that patients with cardiac rupture who reach the hospital alive can often be saved by prompt diagnosis and surgery.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.211-214
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• 2003

Sternal fracture is relatively common in chest trauma. Mediastinal hematoma secondary to sternal fracture is not in common, and it has minor symptoms such as mild dyspnea and chest tightness, which usually resolve spontaneously. We experienced two cases of extrapericardial tamponade by hematoma caused by sternal fractures. Two patients were diagnosed by chest CT scan and sent to the operating room within 2 hours after arriving at emergency room because of unstable vital signs. Cardiovascular signs were relieved immediatly after the operation. We report these cases with a brief review of the literature.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.34 no.12
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• pp.937-943
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• 2001

Background: The aims of this study are to determine the predicting factors related with cardiovascular injuries in sternal fractures and to suggest the indication of emergency echocardiography. Material and Method: A retrospective review of the Ewha Womans University Mok-Dong Hospital trauma registry revealed 40 patients, that visited the hospital with a sternal fracture a over 5-year period. We analyzed 4 factors as predicting factors; 1) presence of restraint, 2) presence of associated injuries, 3) presence of a past medical history involving cardiovascular system, and 4) Revised Trauma Score(RTS). We, also, assessed the utility of conventional study methods involving cardiovascular injuries, such as ECG, chest X-ray, and enzyme level. Based on the methods, we inferred an indication for emergency echocardiography in sternal fractures. Result: Statistically significant predicting factors were the presence of a past medical history involving cardiovascular system and abnormal RTS on admission. Usage of emergency echocardiography depended upon the predicting factors and the results from conventional evaluations. We can now suggest the indications of emergency echocardiography in sternal fractures as 1) if more than two studies reveal abnormality without any significant predicting factors, and 2) if more than one study reveals abnormality with any significant predicting factors. Conclusion: The past medical history involving cardiovascular system and initial vital signs imply the presence of cardiovascular injuries in sternal fractures. And if needed, emergency echocardiography should be performed.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.7
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• pp.713-718
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• 1997

Fracture of the sternum has been considered as a serious injury and also associated with major complications such as myocardial, major thoracic vascular, and spinal injury. Retrospective datas from blunt trauma victims admitted to our hospital were analyzed to determine significance of sternal fractures and possible associated injures. 101 sternal fractures by blunt trauma were admitted from january, 1986 to december, 1995. Frequency was about 3.51 olo of the nonpenetrating chest trauma. The ratio of male to female was 1.82 versus 1. Most common cause in the stemal fracture was high decelerating injury(73 cases). Most common fracture site was sternal body(75 cases). Average days of adm ssion were 26 days. Abnormal ECG findings were sinus bradycardia(Teases), complete or incomplete RBBB(6 cases), sinus tachycardia(4 cases), specific S-T change(3 cases), 1st degree A-V block(2 cases), LVH(1 case), PVC(1 case), and Low voltage(1 case). CPK-MB was increased about 32.Lolo of sternal fractures. Except of expired 2 patients, patients were treated with conservative treatment(94 cases) and open reductions & steel wire fixations(5 cases). Complication after operation was wound infection(1 case). Causes of death were 1 hypovolemia and 1 acute respiratory distress syndrome. In conclusion, although sternal fracture is less frequent, and mostly treats with conservative treatment, it shoed be carefully observed because of critical associated injuries.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.190-193
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• 1998

We experienced a case of primary sternal tuberculosis with destroyed midsternum and bony defect. An 22-year-old female was admitted to our hospital two times for severe sternal pain and spontaneous fracture without history of trauma. On hospital admission, chest X-ray and chest CT showed destruction of midsternum and soft tissue swelling. Fine needle aspiration cytology revealed tuberculous osteomyelitis with cold abscess. And the patient was treated with usual anti-tubeculosis medication for preoperative preparation. At operation, we confirmed midsternal destruction with cold abscess and multiple sinus tracts. After removal of diseased sternal segment and cold abscess, we performed sternal reconstruction with autologus iliac bone graft. The pathologic report was compatible with tuberculous osteomyelitis and caseous necrosis The postoperative course was smooth and uneventful, and she remains well without sternal instability two months later.

• Journal of the Korean Orthopaedic Association
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.76-81
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• 2021

A traumatic dislocation of the sternoclavicular joint is a rare injury, and among them, anterior dislocation is more common than a posterior dislocation. Posterior dislocation is a potential risk by compressing the mediastinal structures, but an anterior dislocation has not been considered a risk. Traumatic sternoclavicular joint anterior dislocation associated with anterior angulation of a sternal fracture can develop mediastinal compression and have a risk in the same way as a posterior dislocation. This case report is about a traumatic sternoclavicular joint anterior dislocation with a sternal fracture accompanied by mediastinal compression that was treated surgically using a plate and showed relatively good clinical results. This rare case is reported along with a review of the relevant literature.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.188-190
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• 2010

Sternal fracture is relatively common after blunt chest trauma, and this usually resolves without complication. But acute extrapericardial tamponade caused by sternal fracture and injury to the internal mammary artery secondary to blunt chest trauma is very rare. We report here on two cases of acute extrapericardial tamponade that were caused by blunt chest trauma.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.11
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• pp.1085-1088
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• 1998

Background: In trauma patients, bony thorax are exposured to the trauma in many cases. With simple x-ray, we can not detect all definitive bony abnormalities, especially in less severe cases. Bone scan is very sensitive diagnostic method in such cases. Materials and methods: We experienced 680 cases and results were as follows. Results: 1. Diagnostic sensitivity was 97.4% and false negative rate was 2.6%. 2. In sensitivity study, the time factor(when we perform bone scan) was the most important thing according to trauma pattern. In rib fracture, sensitive test time was after 1 week. In sternal fracture, sensitive test time was after 1 week, too. In costochondral junction fracture and combined cases, it was after 3 days. Conclusions: We recommend timely using of bone scan as definitive diagnostic method in bony thorax trauma patients.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.742-746
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• 2008

Background: The surgical treatment of pectus carinatum is usually a modified Ravitch operation that consists of complete costal cartilage resection and sternal wedge osteotomy. We tried a simple and easy technique that is resection of only deformed, protruded costal cartilage and pre-sternal compression with using a stainless steel bar and this is done without sternal osteotomy. Therefore, we performed partial cartilage resection and pre-sternal compression with a stainless steel bar and we observed the effects and the efficiency of treatment. Material and Method: From July, 2006 to June, 2008, 10 patients with pectus carinatum underwent our modified technique of pectus carinatum surgery. The effects of surgery and the complications were reviewed. Result: 5 patients with only pectus carinatum underwent our modified technique of pectus carinatum surgery. 5 patients with pectus carinatum and pectus excavatum underwent our modified technique of pectus carinatum surgery and Nuss surgery. The mean patient age was 13.4+3.3 years old. The mean operation time was 137.6+22.9 minutes for the pectus carinatum patients and 234.0+36.5 minutes for the pectus carinatum and pectus excavatum patients. The mean length of hospitalization was 11.8+1.0 days. The Haller pectus index of pectus carinatum was $2.10{\pm}0.21$ preoperatively and this was increased to $2.53{\pm}0.07$ postoperatively. The only complication was simple partial wound disruption in 1 patient. Conclusion: We performed partial cartilage resection and pre-sternal compression with a stainless steel bar in 10 patients with pectus carinatum and its effects were good. Our modified technique of pectus carinatum is easy and simple as compared with the Ravitch operation. But removal of the stainless steel bar has not yet been performed for these patients and long-term follow up is needed to accurately evaluate the. effects of this surgery in many surgical cases.