{"id":30653,"date":"2019-11-13T09:43:54","date_gmt":"2019-11-13T14:43:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.heart-valve-surgery.com\/heart-surgery-blog\/?p=30653"},"modified":"2025-11-07T09:53:15","modified_gmt":"2025-11-07T14:53:15","slug":"sternalock","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.heart-valve-surgery.com\/heart-surgery-blog\/2019\/11\/13\/sternalock\/","title":{"rendered":"Technology Update: SternaLock Blu May Bring Faster Healing & Less Pain to Heart Surgery Patients"},"content":{"rendered":"

For heart surgery patients, one of the scary and dislocating thoughts associated with the operation is\u2026 having your sternum broken.<\/p>\n

Personally, I remember holding my chest as Dr. Starnes explained the procedure. First, my breast bone would be \u201cseparated.\u201d (I think that was a kind way of saying that my sternum would be cracked.) Then, my heart would be opened. Next, my valves would be replaced. Finally, Dr. Starnes would use wires to secure my sternum.<\/p>\n

\u201cWires?\u201d I thought to myself, \u201cHow on Earth are wires going to keep my sternum stable?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Sternum Wires & Heart Surgery?<\/h2>\n

So you know, wires have been used during heart surgery for more than 50 years. That\u2019s right… 50 years. However, as patients in our community have shared openly, sternum wires can cause severe distress, sharp pains and long-term discomfort. In fact, many patients have had their wires removed 6 months, 1 year, or many years after surgery.<\/p>\n

Stephen May, a retired patient shared with me, \u201cMy pain after open heart surgery was unbelievable! My sternum wires still bother me 14 years later.\u201d<\/p>\n

FYI, I can relate to Stephen. My sternal wires still irritate me every so often. I can get a jolt of pain when I\u2019m lifting a suitcase or when I\u2019m simply stretching.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

An Alternative to Sternum Wires?<\/h2>\n

Given this problem within our patient community, I\u2019ve continued to research alternatives to help patients recover faster from sternum or rib fractures. During that research, I came across the concept of rigid sternal fixation.<\/p>\n

Rigid sternal fixation is the use of metal plates and screws to stabilize fractured (broken) bones. The thin titanium plates have multiple holes for specialized bone screws to pass through into the sternum \u2013 preventing movement in any direction \u2013 regardless of the direction of stress. The plates and screws provide added stability to the sternum to help facilitate the healing process after heart surgery.<\/p>\n

After posting an interview with Dr. Marc Gerdisch about rigid sternal fixation, my inbox lit up with questions about rigid fixation and, more specifically, about the SternaLock Blu System that was referenced in that post.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What is the SternaLock\u00ae Blu System?<\/h2>\n

According to the American Heart Association, there are over 700,000 open heart surgeries performed in the United States ever year. The SternaLock Blu System was developed to provide an alternative to sternal wires by using rigid sternal fixation for sternotomies and minimally invasive surgery.<\/p>\n

As you can see below, the SternaLock Blu uses thin plates across the fractured bone to secure the sternum in place.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The plates are secured into place using special screws that lock the plates at a 90 degree angle \u2013 rigidly fixating the bone halves together.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What are the Top 3 Benefits of the SternaLock Blu?<\/h2>\n

While the idea of the SternaLock Blu is interesting, I was curious to know whether or not there was any clinical research that illustrated true patient benefits. It turns out there have been several research studies that indicate how rigid sternal fixation creates three core benefits:<\/p>\n