Facing the future with closure

In order to reach major organs such as the heart or the lungs during an operation, surgeons have to open up the patient’s rib cage. In today’s standard procedure, the rib cage is closed up again by means of a variety of metal structures that hold the sternum together. The US startup CircumFix Solutions, in which Evonik recently invested, has developed an alternative: an innovativerib cage closure made of high-performance polymers from Evonik. This medical product promotes healing after operations on the openrib cage by effectively closing and permanently stabilizing the sternum. The CircumFix locking device is a safe and comfortable implant that spares bones and tissue, by contrast to metal fasteners.