Morphometric analysis of the sternum.

Sternum has a great clinical significance, considering that median sternotomy is the most common surgical approach used in cardiac surgery. The aim of this study is to standardize the sternum according to size, shape and sex and to obtain ranges of the "standard sternum". The study was done on 55 male and 35 female sterna of the average age of 65. Complex morphometric analysis of breadth, length and thickness of the sterna were performed on sternal segments which were defined by costal notches. Morphometric analysis shows that the general sternum structure in the females and in the males is equal. The standard dimensions of female and male sternum were determined. Standardization according to shape suggests that there is one standard sternum shape present in more than 2/3 of analysed samples of both sexes.