Open AccessSternal foramen
Author(s) -
RamaDevi Gara,
Aseem Tandon
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
medical journal of dr. d y patil university/medical journal of dr. d.y. patil university
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2278-7119
pISSN - 0975-2870
DOI - 10.4103/0975-2870.167974
Subject(s) - sternum , medicine , foramen , surgery , pneumothorax , asymptomatic , anatomy
The sternal foramen is a well-known variant of the sternum that carries the risk of life-threatening complications like pneumothorax, injury to vital structures like pericardial and cardiac puncture during acupuncture. A foramen was found in one sternum during the routine bone study of bones of the bank which were secured in Department of Anatomy. It was oval shaped measuring 8.75 mm × 7.35 mm, present in lower one-third of the body of the sternum. Distance from a sternal angle was 68.06 mm and 25.26 mm from the lower end of the sternum. The sternal foramen is usually asymptomatic found incidentally on chest X-ray. Hence this variation should keep in mind while performing invasive procedures like sternal puncture for bone marrow aspiration to prevent life-threatening complications