Sternum hypoplasia diagnosed during sternotomy

Background The sternum (breastbone) is a long, flattened bone, laying vertically and constituting the middle part of the anterior wall of the thorax. It is clinically important for us, because median sternotomy is the most common surgical approach used in cardiac surgery. It has three parts named from above to downward; manubrium, corpus and xiphoid. Its average length in the adult is about 17 cm and is rather shorter, narrower and thinner in the female than male.