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Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2006;29:1064-1066
© 2006 Elsevier Science NL

Case report

Operative stabilization of flail chest using a prosthetic mesh and methylmethacrylate

^a Department of Anatomy, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rua Muniz Barreto 584, CEP: 22251-090, Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
^b Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Hospital dos Servidores do Estado, Ministry of Health, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Received 7 December 2005; received in revised form 7 March 2006; accepted 10 March 2006.

^_* Corresponding author. Tel.: +55 21 2539 0994; fax: +55 21 2286 0995. (Email: bjbibas{at}click21.com.br).

Surgical stabilization of flail chest is a controversial operation, but recent data has shown that selected patients benefit from it. We describe a simple and practical method of operative stabilization of flail chest using a prosthetic mesh and methylmethacrylate anchored to the ribs and sternum. The methylmethacrylate–mesh complex is inexpensive, can be extracted electively as soon as full thoracic stability is achieved, and can be used to stabilize extended chest wall injuries.

Key Words: Flail Chest • Chest wall • Blunt trauma