Sternal saw
Encyclopedia
A sternal saw is a bone cutter
used to perform median sternotomy
, opening the patient's chest by splitting the breastbone, or sternum. It is a reciprocating blade saw that resembles a jigsaw
in appearance.
Bone cutter
-Unpowered:Unpowered bone cutting implements include varieties of hacksaw and sabre saw. In many applications, the saw is used in specialised jigs to provide accurate, measurable cuts, e.g. in knee surgery...
used to perform median sternotomy
Median sternotomy
Median sternotomy is a type of surgical procedure in which a vertical inline incision is made along the sternum, after which the sternum itself is divided, or "cracked"...
, opening the patient's chest by splitting the breastbone, or sternum. It is a reciprocating blade saw that resembles a jigsaw
Jigsaw (power tool)
A jigsaw is a tool used for cutting arbitrary curves, such as stenciled designs or other custom shapes, into a piece of wood, metal, or other material. It can be used in a more artistic fashion than other saws, which typically cut in straight lines only. In this way, it is similar to the rasp and...
in appearance.