Surgical resection of sternal tumors and reconstruction with titanium mesh.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the use of titanium mesh reconstruction after sternal tumor resection.

METHODS: From January 2007 to January 2011, 14 patients with sternal tumors were admitted into Peking Union Medical Hospital. The clinical characteristics, surgical resection, and technique of reconstruction were reviewed.

RESULTS: Of the 14 patients, 3 had a metastatic sternal tumor, the primary sites of which were as follows: hepatic carcinoma in one case (metastasis 19 years after operation), breast carcinoma in another case (metastasis 5 years after operation), and renal carcinoma in the other case (found simultaneously). Two patients showed local involvement of the sternum: 1 had thymic carcinoma, and the other had myofibrosarcoma. The remaining 9 patients had primary tumors: 4 were osteochondroma, 3 chondrosarcoma, 1 eosinophilic granuloma, 1 non-Hodgekin's lymphoma. En bloc resection of the sternal tumor was performed in all the 14 patients. The defect was repaired with the titanium mesh adjusted to the shape of the defect and fixed with the stainless steel wire. Eleven patients were followed up for a period from 2 months to 4 years, during which no translocation or broken of the titanium mesh was observed.

CONCLUSIONS: Radical en bloc excision remains the treatment of choice for sternal tumors. Sternum defect reconstruction using titanium mesh as a rigid replacement proves appropriate and effective.