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Donor cryopreserved rib allografts for chest wall reconstruction

^a Service of Thoracic Surgery, Salamanca University Hospital, Paseo de San Vicente, 58-182, 37007, Salamanca, Spain
^b Service of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Salamanca University Hospital, Salamanca, Spain

*Corresponding author. Tel./fax: +34 923 291 383.

E-mail address: joluaral{at}hotmail.com (J.L. Aranda).

Reconstruction after large chest wall resections must ensure not only anatomical coverage but a normal respiratory function, specially in the case of associated ventilatory disturbance. Since prosthetic reconstruction can present some problems such as rejection, excessive rigidity or infection, bone grafts have been proposed as an alternative to synthetic materials, due to their effectiveness and capability of integration with host tissues. Although iliac bone allograft or autologous ribs harvested from the opposite operative side are described for reconstruction, we present here the first reported clinical case of donor cryopreserved rib allografts use after extensive chest wall resection in a patient with severe COPD, showing excellent short-term results in the absence of pulmonary function impairment.

Key Words: Rib grafts; Tissue bank; Chest wall resection; Reconstruction