Successful Surgical Fixation Using Bio-Absorbable Plates for Frail Chest in a Severe Osteoporotic Octogenarian

Abstract

We present a case of a severe osteoporotic octogenarian who sustained serious flail chest from a traffic accident. The 3rd–9th ribs of the right chest wall were fractured. Non-operative management was unsuccessful. We performed a surgical fixation using a bio-absorbable and bio-active mini-plating set. This plating set is unsintered hydroxyapatite (u-HA) particles/poly-L-lactide (PLLA) composite osteosynthesis device commonly used for cranial, oral, and maxillofacial surgeries. The use of the u-HA/PLLA device for chest wall reconstruction has previously been reported, but no long-term results have been included. This case showed several advantages of the procedure with 4-year follow-up over other reported methods, especially in an osteoporotic elderly patient.