1. Biomechanical study of a Poly-L-Lactide (PLLA) sternal pin in sternal closure after cardiothoracic surgery 
Takeshi Saito, MD, Atsushi Iguchi, MD, PhD, Masahiro Sakurai, MD, PhD, Koichi Tabayashi, MD, PhD 
The Annals of Thoracic Surgery 
Volume 77, Issue 2, Pages (February 2004)
DOI: /S (03)

2. Fig 1
A bioabsorbable Poly-L-Lactide sternal pin for an infant (2 × 2 × 15 mm; Gunze Co, Ayabe, Japan).
The Annals of Thoracic Surgery  , DOI: ( /S (03) )

3. Fig 2
The schema of making a wired sternum (A) and fixing it to the testing machine (B). (PLLA = Poly-L-Lactide.)
The Annals of Thoracic Surgery  , DOI: ( /S (03) )

4. Fig 3
The schema of forcing a shear stress by a load-cell ([A] an anterior–posterior direction, [B] a cranial–caudal direction).
The Annals of Thoracic Surgery  , DOI: ( /S (03) )

5. Fig 4
The actual one scene in the experiment (an anterior–posterior direction).
The Annals of Thoracic Surgery  , DOI: ( /S (03) )

6. Fig 5
Stiffness: a wire and intrasternal fixation group (Poly-L-Lactide [PLLA] [+]) versus a wire fixation group (PLLA [−]). (A) An anterior–posterior direction. (B) A cranial–caudal direction. In an anterior–posterior direction, the stiffness was ± 1.84 (N/mm) in a wire and intrasternal fixation group (PLLA [+]) and 7.00 ± 2.71 (N/mm) in a wire fixation group (PLLA [−]) (p = ). In a cranial–caudal direction, it was ± 4.88 (N/mm) and 4.38 ± 2.12 (N/mm), respectively (p = 0.03). (PLLA = Poly-L-Lactide.)
The Annals of Thoracic Surgery  , DOI: ( /S (03) )