The use of rigid sternal fixation for complex poststernotomy wounds and a military-unique fracture at an Army medical center.

Sternal wound complications after sternotomy carry significant morbidity and mortality rates. Sternal fractures attributable to blunt trauma may cause incapacitating pain or may be plagued by symptoms resulting from chronic nonunion. A sternal fixation system has been developed and used successfully for the management of poststernotomy complications, as well as for symptomatic fractures and fracture nonunion.