• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.170-176
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• 2021

Purpose: Traumatic sternal fractures are rare but quite disabling injuries. Timely fixation of sternal fractures reduces pain and prevents respiratory complications. However, the fixation technique should be simple, effective, and readily available in local circumstances. Methods: From January 2014 to March 2020, seven patients with sternal fracture/dislocation underwent steel wire fixation with the new "Timala" technique. In this technique, adjacent ribs are anchored with two steel wires to form an "X" in front of the fractured segment of the sternum. Patients were followed up clinically and radiologically. Results: Six of the patients were men and one was a female. Five of them had injuries due to falls and two were injured in road traffic accidents. Their age ranged from 18 years to 76 years, with a median age of 41 years. All seven patients experienced immediate recovery from pain and showed evidence of fracture healing on postoperative chest X-rays and clinical examinations. Conclusions: Anchoring ribs to fix the sternum with steel wire is a safe, effective, easily available, and reproducible method to fix sternal fractures or dislocations.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.175-179
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• 2010

Purpose: Sternal fractures after blunt thoracic trauma can cause significant pain and disability. They are relatively uncommon as a result of direct trauma to the sternum and open reduction is reserved for those with debilitating pain and fracture displacement. We reviewed consecutive 11 cases of open reduction and fixation of sternum and tried to find standard approach to the traumatic sternal fractures with severe displacement. Methods: From December 2008 to August 2010, the medical records of 11 patients who underwent surgical reduction and fixation of sternum for sternal fractures with severe displacement were reviewed. We investigated patients' characteristics, chest trauma, associated other injuries, type of open reduction and fixation, combined operations, preoerative ventilator support and postoperative complications. Results: The mean patient age was 59.3years (range, 41~79). The group comprised 6 male and 5 female subjects. Among 11 patients who underwent open reduction and fixation for sternal fracture with severe displacement, 6 cases had isolated sternal fractures and the other 5 patients had associated other injuries. Sternal fractures were caused by car accidents (9/11, 81.8%), falling down (1/11, 9.1%) and direct blunt trauma to the sternum (1/11, 9.1%), respectively. 3 of the 7 patients (42.9%) who underwent sternal plating with longitudinal plates showed loosening of fixation. Otherwise, none of the 4 patients who underwent surgical fixation using T-shaped plate had stable alignment of the fracture. Conclusion: Sternal fractures with severe displacement need to be repaired to prevent chronic pain, instability of the anterior chest wall, deformity of the sternum, and even kyphosis. In the present study, a T-shaped plate with a compression-tension mechanism constitutes the treatment of choice for displaced sternal fractures.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.361-365
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• 2016

Background: Sternal fractures are relatively rare, and caused mainly by blunt anterior chest wall trauma. In most cases, sternal fractures are treated conservatively. However, if the patient exhibits problematic symptoms such as intractable chest wall pain or bony crepitus due to sternal instability, surgical correction is indicated. But no consensus exists regarding the most appropriate surgical method. We analyzed the results of surgical fixation in cases of sternal fracture in order to identify which surgical method led to the best outcomes. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients with sternal fractures from December 2008 to December 2011, and found 19 patients who underwent open reduction and internal fixation of the sternum with a longitudinal plate (L-group) or a T-shaped plate (T-group). We investigated patients' characteristics, clinical details regarding each case of chest trauma, the presence of other associated injuries, the type of open reduction and fixation, whether a combined operation was performed, and postoperative complications. Results: Of the 19 patients, 10 patients (52.6%) were male, and their average age was 56.8 years (range, 32 to 82 years). Seven patients (36.8%) had isolated sternal fractures, while 12 (63.2%) had other associated injuries. Seven patients (36.8%) were in the L-group and 12 patients (63.2%) were in the T-group. Three patients in the L-group (42.9%) showed a loosening of the fixation. In all patients in the T-group, the fracture exhibited stable alignment. Conclusion: Open reduction and internal fixation with a T-shaped plate in sternal fractures is a safer and more efficient treatment method than treatment with a longitudinal plate, especially in patients with a severely displaced sternum or anterior flail chest, than a longitudinal plate.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.83-88
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• 2022

This case report introduced the use of herbal medicine to treat a sternum fracture. A 46-year-old female patient with a sternum fracture from a traffic accident suffered from anterior chest wall pain. She was treated with herbal medicine. The patient's progress was evaluated using a numerical rating scale (NRS), and the frequency of tingling in the chest wall was also tracked. After treatment, both the NRS of chest pain and frequency of tingling decreased. The results of this study suggest that herbal medicine can effectively decrease pain and discomfort in patients suffering from a sternum fracture. However, further studies are needed to obtain stronger evidence for its efficacy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.905-915
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• 1990

A clinical evaluation was performed on 545 cases of the chest trauma those had been admitted and treated at the department of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery in Chosun University Hospital during the past 11 years 5 months period from January 1978 to may 1989. Obtained results were as follows: 1. The ratio of male to female was 3.9: 1 in male predominance, and the majority[66.6%] was distributed from 3rd to 5th decade. 2. Nonpenetrating chest trauma was more common than penetrating about 4.6 times, and the most common cause of the nonpenetrating injuries was traffic accident[241/448, 53.8%] and of the penetrating injuries was stab wound[88/97, 90.7%]. 3. Only 79 cases[14.5%] were arrived to our emergency room within one hour after trauma. 4. The most common lesion due to trauma among these admitted patients was rib fracture[390/545, 71.6%], and the others were lung contusion[217/545, 39.8%], hemothorax[35%], hemopneumothorax[19.6%], and pneumothorax[11.8%] et al in decreasing order. 5. The associated injuries those required special treatment of other departments were 223 cases and its distributions were bone fractures[178/545, 32.7%], head injury[5.3%], and abdominal injury[6.6%]. 6. The others, but interesting chest injuries were follows: sternum fracture[3.1%], diaphragm rupture[2.6%], myocardial laceration and rupture[2 cases], bronchial rupture and laceration[2 cases], and traumatic thymoma rupture[1 case]. 7. The incidence of flail chest was 5.8%a[26/448] in the nonpenetrating injury, and the causes were multiple rib fracture which was in rows more than 4 rib fracture[20 cases], and sternum fracture[6 cases]. 8. We could managed the most of the patient with conservative treatment[43.1%] or closed tube thoracostomy[52.7%], but required emergency open thoracotomy in 64 cases

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.37-47
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• 2024

Purpose: This study aimed at developing a novel tube thoracostomy technique using the sternum, a fixed anatomical structure, as an indicator to reduce the possibility of incorrect chest tube positioning and complications in patients with chest trauma. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed the data of 184 patients with chest trauma who were aged ≥18 years, visited a single regional trauma center in Korea between April and June 2022, and underwent chest computed tomography (CT) with their arms down. The conventional gold standard, 5th intercostal space (ICS) method, was compared to the lower 1/2, 1/3, and 1/4 of the sternum method by analyzing CT images. Results: When virtual tube thoracostomy routes were drawn at the mid-axillary line at the 5th ICS level, 150 patients (81.5%) on the right side and 179 patients (97.3%) on the left did not pass the diaphragm. However, at the lower 1/2 of the sternum level, 171 patients (92.9%, P<0.001) on the right and 182 patients (98.9%, P= 0.250) on the left did not pass the diaphragm. At the 5th ICS level, 129 patients (70.1%) on the right and 156 patients (84.8%) on the left were located in the safety zone and did not pass the diaphragm. Alternatively, at the lower 1/2, 1/3, and 1/4 of the sternum level, 139 (75.5%, P=0.185), 49 (26.6%, P<0.001), and 10 (5.4%, P<0.001), respectively, on the right, and 146 (79.3%, P=0.041), 69 (37.5%, P<0.001), and 16 (8.7%, P<0.001) on the left were located in the safety zone and did not pass the diaphragm. Compared to the conventional 5th ICS method, the sternum 1/2 method had a safety zone prediction sensitivity of 90.0% to 90.7%, and 97.3% to 100% sensitivity for not passing the diaphragm. Conclusions: Using the sternum length as a tube thoracostomy indicator might be feasible.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.115-121
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• 2014

Purpose: The study aimed to examine the influence of PNF direct and indirect breathing treatments for patients with cervical spinal cord injuries who had breathing problems. Methods: For each cervical spinal cord patient, force vital capacity (FVC), peak expiratory flow, maximum phonation time (MPT), rib cage width, and VAS were measured pre-intervention and four weeks after post-intervention. The indirect method and the direct method were used for interventions. We treated patients with the indirect method using scapular anterior depression pattern, bilateral extensor pattern with rhythmic initiation, and a combination of isotonic. We treated patients with the direct method, applying pressure on the sternum and using rhythmic initiation (hold relax and stretch reflex) for the rib cage. Training occurred for 50 minutes a day and three days per week for four weeks. Results: FVC, MPT, peak expiratory flow, and rib cage width were increased and decreased at the VAS point for rolling after treatment. Conclusion: Patients with cervical spinal cord injuries who had breathing problems felt uncomfortable when they had conversations on a couch. We found that PNF direct and indirect treatments improved rib cage width and breathing functions of patients with cervical spinal cord injuries.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.601-605
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• 1995

Clinical evaluations were performed on 54 cases of the traumatic sternal fracture, those were admitted and treated at the department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery in Chosun University Hospital during the past 5 years period from January 1990 to December 1994. The frequency was about 7.8% of the nonpenetrating chest trauma. The ratio of male to female was 2 : 1 in male predominance. Average age was 45.7 years old and age distribution was from 18 to 80 years old. The most common cause in the sternal fracture were high decelerating injury[ 38 cases . The most common fracture site was sternal body. Associated intrathoracic organ injuries were cardiac contusion[11cases , hemopneumothorax and pulmonary contusion. Added, thoracic cage and extrathoracic organ injuries were rib fracture, head injuries, thoracic spinal fracture and long bone fracture. Abnormal ECG findings were sinus bradycardia[4 cases , sinus tachycardia[3 cases , bundle branch block, atrial fibrillaton, left ventricular hypertrophy and myocardial ischemia. The average days of admission was 19.1 days. All patients were treated with conservative treatment. The complications after treatment were atelectasis[2 cases ,empyema[1 cases , ARDS[1 cases .

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.82-89
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• 2008

Objective:　We compared the prevalence of injury and poisoning in the agricultural and fishery population with that of the general population.Methods: The national health insurance data and agricultufor this study. The age-adjusted standardized morbidity ratio was used to compare the prevalence of all injuries and poisonings of the agricultural and fishery population with that of the general population for the year 2002, as well as the prevalence of certain injuries and poisonings common to the agricultural and fishery population. The age-adjusted standardized morbidity ratio and 95% confidence intervals were attained by using the general population as the standard population group.Results: The age-adjusted standardized morbidity ratio of total injuries and poisonings was significantly high in the agriculture and fishery population. The standardized morbidity ratio was 137.6 in the male agriculture and fishery population and 123.3 in the female agriculture and fishery population. In terms of injuries and poisonings common to the agriculture and fishery population, the age-adjusted standardized morbidity ratio was significantly high regarding the dislocations and strains of lumbar spine/pelvis, shoulder and neck, the fracture of rib/thoracic spine/sternum and pesticide poisoning.Conclusions: The overall prevalence of injury/poisoning was significantly higher in the agriculture and fishery population than in the general population. Various forms of research should be conducted on the injuries of the agriculture and fishery population in the future. In order to compare the differences in the prevalence rates of injuries according to time and region, standard definitions of injuries and occupation related injuries are required.

• 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.