Services / i3DCarinatum
What is Pectus Carinatum?
Pectus Carinatum is a deformity of the anterior chest involving a variety of protusion configurations, but most frequently with anterior projection of the mid and lower sternum (gladiolus), and adjacent costal cartilages. Asymmetric deformities with tilted sternum are common, leading to a more pronounced protusion of the sternum in one side of the chest. Like pectus excavatum, Pectus Carinatum is believed by many to originate from a disproportionate growth of the costal cartilages compared with the remainder of the bony thoracic skeleton; this exerts pressure in the sternum, leading to protusion, depression or a combination of both. In most cases of Pectus Carinatum, it is associated a chest narrowing from side to side, with the ribs projecting more anteriorly and with less curvature than normal, and also a slight sternum rotation, due to cartilage differential growth.
How is pectus carinatum diagnosed and its severity assessed?
Before Pectus Carinatum can be properly treated, it must first be properly diagnosed and its severity stratified. Your doctor and other specialists, including a pediatric surgeon or thoracic surgeon, will perform a complete physical exam and comprehensive blood tests to confirm the diagnosis. In addition other tests may be performed, including pulmonary function test, chest x-ray, electrocardiogram (EKG) and echocardiogram. Because the morphology of the deformity varies a lot among patients, CT-scan of the chest for documentation of morphology, dimensions and protusion severity of the chest is also very important.
What is the innovation of i3DCarinatum System?
Taking advantage of the patient thoracic 3D scan (or CT-scan/ MRI) we can determine the best thoracic plan to use the correction brace and more important we can now personalize the size and morphology of the brace bars more appropriately for each patient.
