The fixation plate is attached to the inner surface of the rib using fiber optics, very small incisions, and a procedure Dr. Randy Haluck compares to building a ship in a bottle.
The surgeons' view, via a fiber-optic camera and a thoracoscope inserted low in the chest, shows the curved ribs, the reddish intercostal muscles between them, and a fixation plate in the process of being attached to a rib to fix, or stabilize, it. After the bolts are secured, the thin cables they were suspended on are withdrawn through a small incision.
Surgeons at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and a biomedical engineer teamed up to devise a new way to "fix," or stabilize, broken ribs. By reducing trauma and pain, the procedure could benefit the 100,000 patients per year in the U.S. who suffer multiple broken ribs.
The new procedure employs a thoracoscope, which gives surgeons a high-definition view of the inner surface of the ribcage; and a titanium plate attached to the broken rib by post-and-sleeve bolts. The hardware is positioned and secured through a system of fine cables. The entire operation requires just a few short incisions.
Injuries to the ribs can occur anywhere on the ribcage, including the back and the sides. Even a single broken rib can make breathing very painful. As a result, people with a broken rib tend to avoid breathing deeply, which can lead to fluid build-up in the lungs, infection, and even death.
Penn State Harrisburg faculty members Glen A. Mazis, professor of humanities and philosophy, and Richard Young, professor of supply chain management, have been named distinguished professors by the Penn State Office of the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs.
