Bad ache in sternum after sternal wires removed

[Tom Bates]

Hi all,

Some time recovering from my second surgery (patch job on my aortic valve, opened up sternum) I had my sternal wires removed. As I'm quite thin these were causing an issue, poking out of my sternum under the skin so I could feel them and causing irritation.

Before having the wires removed I'd returned to rock climbing as my hobby and all was going well.

After having the wires removed, I've had issues. It's possible that I returned to rock climbing too soon after having the wires removed, though I thought that given it was safe to remove the wires (the sternum being fully recovered and 'fused') it would be safe to start climbing again. I had this procedure 18 - 24 months ago.

Since then, I've suffered increasing pain in my sternum when applying any exertion to it. Climbing clearing puts it under a lot of strain (think hanging by one hand) but even regular tasks - holding my nephew on my hip (and therefore pulling the sternum in one direction) can cause irritation. Even sleeping in an odd position.

The pain is localised on the sternum. If I experience it I can often rectify it by gentle stretches of the chest. Whilst doing so I might hear a pronounced 'click' sound, at which point the pain can vanish.

However true it is, it feels like the sternum is being pulled out of position then the 'click' sound realigns it. I've been assured my my heart consultant that it is fused though.

I am aware that other bones in our body can 'click' (finger cracking etc) and our medical understanding of this is still developing.

My consultant didn't seem too worried about it and gave no advice, though perhaps I didn't stress how this is effecting my life now - I've had to give up rock climbing and even mild upper body exercise has me gingerly stretching afterwards in case I've exacerbated it.

Has anybody here experienced anything like this?

Many thanks in advance for the feedback.

Tom

 

[pellicle]

Hi Tom

After having the wires removed, I've had issues. It's possible that I returned to rock climbing too soon after having the wires removed
...
Since then, I've suffered increasing pain in my sternum when applying any exertion to it.
...
The pain is localised on the sternum. If I experience it I can often rectify it by gentle stretches of the chest.
...
Has anybody here experienced anything like this?

I've had the wires removed twice (after separate OH surgeries 1992 and 2012). Back in 1992 it was because they were poking out (Aikido not climbing)

So after each of those operations (wire removal) there was some irritation deeply in the chest.

Having also broken some other bits (ankle and wrist) I can say that soft tissue damage (like cartilage) takes longer to heal than does bone. As it happens there is bucket loads of that around where the ribs meet the sternum

If you consider how they do it (remove the wires) its basically cut one end of the loop (where its twisted) and then yank that fencing wire through. So its possible that during the operation that the sharp end of the wire (cut some wire with wire cutters and have a peek) upset some cartilage on the way round or just the transit of the wire caused some irritation at the site where the cartilage joins the bone (and where the wire would have been poked through the bone.

It took a good year after the first one before I started feeling totally comfortable again. This time it has taken a little longer for it to feel ok (still isn't feeling OK).

There are other possibilities, but I don't want to discuss them.

Give it time.

I reckon it'll settle down

 

[Tom Bates]

@pellicle: Thank you for the reply and information- it's interesting to hear that it it took a while for you to heal the first time.

I've also had two ops, and had the wires removed the first time as well; at that point there didn't seem to be a recovery time after it. Though, the procedure could have gone more smoothly, plus I was around 17 at the time so may have recovered a little more quickly.

I'll give it a few more months as I'm not in a tremendous rush to get back to climbing. At that point I'll go back to the consultant for further advice. It's the clicking that piques my interest - there's this physical (and audible) thing happening in my chest that seems clearly related and I don't know what it is!

Thanks again - and if other members have had any related experiences I'd be really interested to hear them.

Tom

 

[Soccermom]

hi,
does everyone have sternal wires with surgery. I don't recall my surgeon talking about it.
thanks

 

[river-wear]

Hi Tom, I haven't had surgery yet, but I have seen several people on this site mention clicking in their sternum for a few months after surgery. I can also tell you that when my husband has broken ribs (a couple bad spills on his mountain and road bikes), he has occasionally clicked for awhile during the healing process. I think it's related to the cartilage, as Pellicle mentioned.

Soccermom, it's my understanding that whenever the sternum is cut, they hold it back together with wires. Unless they use the new-fangled sternal talons, which seems to be fairly rare.

 

[pellicle]

Hi

hi,
does everyone have sternal wires with surgery. I don't recall my surgeon talking about it.
thanks

there has been a recent bone glue development but if they go through
the sternum then basically yes.

Have a gander at your chest x-ray, you'll see the loops

 

[ottagal]

hi,
does everyone have sternal wires with surgery. I don't recall my surgeon talking about it.
thanks

It seems that the majority of us do. However, I have read of a few members having the bone glue used and talons.