Primary repair of sternal cleft in infancy using combined periosteal flap and sliding osteochondroplasty.

Sternal clefts are rare congenital malformations of the chest wall. Immediate correction in neonates or in infancy is beneficial in terms of providing skeletal cover with little or no need for any prosthetic material for reconstruction. In the absence of internal midline defects, one should aim to provide complete correction when the chest wall is still compliant, and cardiorespiratory compromise is expected to be least after correction. We report on 2 children who underwent primary sternal-cleft repair using a periosteal advancement flap along with mobilization of lateral sternal bars after sliding osteotomy of corresponding ribs.