[Reconstruction of anterior chest wall defect with ceramic bone grafts--a case of localized malignant mesothelioma].

The reconstruction of an anterior chest wall defect was performed on a 61-year-old male after resecting a localized malignant mesothelioma. The tumor was resected with body of the sternum, the anterior portion of the bilateral second, third and fourth ribs, muscles, subcutaneous tissue and skin. The defect was 12.5 cm x 9.5 cm in size. The reconstruction of the defect was made with Marlex mesh, two ceramic bone grafts and a latissimus dorsi musculocutaneous flap. Double Marlex mesh was sewn under the edges of the ribs and the intercostal muscles of the defect by interrupted sutures. In order to fit the ceramic bone graft to the defect transversely, two pieces of ceramic bones (Iliac crest spacers) were selected from various sizes. They were connected by a stainless steel wire through the holes which were originally made at the edge for fixation, and the connected portion was covered with methyl methacrylate. Two ceramic bone grafts were fixed to each of the stumps of the bilateral third and fourth ribs by monofilament threads. A musculocutaneous pedicle flap made from the right latissimus dorsi covered the operative filed. There were no postoperative wound infection and no extrusion of the prostheses seven months after the operation.