Patent ID: 8425572

Claim:
A method of maintaining the sternal halves of a longitudinally severed sternum in abutting relation comprising the steps of: providing a pair of brace assemblies, each said brace assembly comprising a longitudinally extensive anterior brace member and a longitudinally extensive posterior brace member; brace joining means connecting said anterior brace member with said posterior brace member in each said brace assembly; transverse bridging means connecting said anterior brace members to each other; and locking means securing said brace assemblies in fixed lateral relation to each other and retaining said sternal halves in abutting relation; disposing said anterior brace members on the anterior of said sternal halves and said posterior brace members on the posterior of said sternal halves, and joining said anterior and posterior brace members such that said sternal halves are compressed between said anterior and posterior brace members by drilling bores through said sternal halves and passing threaded sleeves extending outwardly from said posterior brace members through said bores and inserting threaded fasteners through said anterior brace members into said threaded sleeves; and connecting said transverse bridging means and forcing said brace assemblies together such that said sternal halves are abutted.