Wire holder: a new adjunct for sternal closure.

A new 5 inch clamp with a tungsten carbide insert used for holding the sternal closure wires on an end-to-end fashion is described. This clamp provides a much better grip and longer wear than stainless steel owing to the tungsten carbide insert. The length of the clamp allows the surgeon a firm grip on the wire, and the wire can be easily twisted. Also, the small size of the clamp avoids the crowding which occurs with the regular Kocher clamps at the operating table.