Patent ID: 7651498

Claim:
A sternal closure system for maintaining left and right halves of a patient's longitudinally incised sternum in proper spaced relationship during a surgical procedure in the thoracic cavity, the system comprising: a first anchor having an inner axial passage, configured to be disposed within the left half of the sternum; a second anchor having an inner axial passage, configured to be disposed within the right half of the sternum; and a rigid fastener made of a metallic material and defined by a body portion having two legs each being configured for repeated insertion into and withdrawal from a respective one of said inner axial passages when the first anchor and the second anchor are disposed within respective halves of the sternum, the body portion of the rigid fastener configured to externally extend across an incision of the incised sternum between the first anchor and second anchor while said legs are removably tightly held within the inner axial passages, the rigid fastener configured to maintain the left half of the sternum and the right half of the sternum in relative position upon reapproximation; and a fixing apparatus for simultaneous linear displacement of the first and second anchor so as to bring the first and second anchor closer together and thus to reapproximate the left half of the sternum and the right half of the incised sternum, said fixing apparatus being capable to secure the first and second anchor in their relative position upon reapproximation of the left and right half of the incised sternum and said fixed apparatus is to removably insert the legs of said rigid fixing into respective longitudinal passages of said first and second anchor upon bringing the first and second anchor means closer together.