Surgical Repair of Pectus Excavatum by Pin Immobilization

Maintenance of Chest Wall Stability

“…Some (Daniel, 1958;Ravitch, 1961) maintain that there is no need to support the mobilized sternum other than with sutures, preferably of silk, through bone or periosteum to close the sternal osteotomy. Others (Dorner, Keil, and Schissel, 1950;Lester, 1950;Holmes, 1957;Paltia, Parkkalainen, Salamaa, and Wallgren, 1959;Mayo and Long, 1962) have found the sternum too mobile, and a variety of methods have been described to prevent paradoxical movement during convalescence. The problem is similar to that of the mobile sternum after 'steering-wheel' injuries; the differences are that there is no need to decide whether or not an open operation should be undertaken since one has already been made, the precise situation of FIG.…”

“…In his cases the pin was removed after two or three weeks. Griffin and Minnis (1957) and Mayo and Long (1962) reported series in which the mobilized sternum was transfixed from side to side between the anterior and posterior cortical tables at the level of the fourth or fifth cartilage. Either a Steinmann's pin or a Kirschner wire was used, and the support became cutaneous just below the nipples where the points were protected with corks and a collodion dressing was used to cover the sites of pin-puncture; the pin was removed after three weeks.…”