WCBL’s Pectus Carinatum Bracing Solution
Bracing may be an alternative to a surgical approach to treatment for Pectus Carinatum. Developed by Westcoast Brace & Limb, the WPC Compressor, is a custom brace designed to gently apply pressure to the sternum, gradually correcting the structure of the chest wall.
We custom fabricate the brace based on a mold of the child’s chest. For best results, the brace is to be worn 23 hours a day, 7 days a week. The child may remove the brace for bathing and/or swimming. Typically, the brace is utilized for one year.
Treatment for pectus deformities should begin when the child is at least beginning his or her pubertal growth spurt. It is at this time that the chest wall is more developed and the risk of recurrence and complications are minimized.
What is Pectus Carinatum?
Pectus Carinatum, colloquially
referred to as “pigeon chest,” is one of the most common chest wall deformities. It usually is first noticed around the child’s eleventh birthday. It occurs when the chest is pushed outward. This outward appearance is caused by the sternum (breastbone) being pushed out by the ribs, or because the sternum itself is angled outward along the chest’s mid-line. The severity of this abnormality generally worsens during growth spurts in late childhood/adolescence.