I Ceram : Ceramil® sternum implanted in a 9 year-old girl in Marseille, France

I.Ceram, specialized in innovative orthopedic implants and ceramic implants, announces the first implantation of a ceramic sternum in a 9 year-old girl born without a sternum following an agenesis (incomplete development during the fetal period)

This surgery was performed with success by Pr Jouve and Dr Fouilloux at the « La Timone » Marseille teaching hospital in France in January 2018.

Pr Jouve puts this surgery in context: 'Born with a sternal agenesis, this young girl who has Down's syndrome, had already been operated after her birth for a congenital heart disease. Her lack of sternum led to breathing discomfort and caused her social integration problems due to aesthetical preocupations (pronounced unaesthetic trough). The surgery lasted 4 hours and was uneventful. We wished to provide a solution enabling the normal development of the child's skeleton during her entire growth. In the future, her skeleton growth will depend on her ribs and won't be impacted by this prosthesis.'

The implantation of this alumina ceramic sternum allowed to rebuild a more functional rib cage and a rectify the visual aspect of her thorax. The immediate post-operative period was simple and the girl was discharged after 7 days. Three months after surgery, this young patient is doing well and takes advantage of her new everyday comfort.

This medical breakthrough will be able to be commercialized in all of Europe as soon as CE certification is obtained. It is still under evaluation by the certifying body which without putting in question the technical specificities of the implant has asked for additional information, regarding in particular the surgical technique (the minimum size of the suture thread required) without questions about the characteristics of the sternal implant. The company has until the 15^th of June to provide answers before mid-June but will most likely be sending them to its certifying body within the next few days.

This new implantation completes the indication triangle of the I.Ceram ceramic sternal implant: tumors, infections and agenesis. It also demonstrates I.Ceram's responsiveness and its ability to answer the medical profession's increasingly sophisticated expectations.