1. The Effects of a Soluble Polymer and Bone Wax on Sternal Healing in an Animal Model 
Tadeusz Wellisz, MD, Jonathan K. Armstrong, PhD, John Cambridge, PhD, Yuehuei H. An, MD, Xuejun Wen, MD, PhD, Christopher M. Hill, VMD, Timothy C. Fisher, MB, ChB 
The Annals of Thoracic Surgery 
Volume 85, Issue 5, Pages (May 2008)
DOI: /j.athoracsur
Copyright © 2008 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Terms and Conditions

2. Fig 1
(A) A roentgenogram taken 6 weeks after a sternotomy in which the soluble polymer was used for hemostasis. Bone fusion occurred consistently in every animal. (B) A roentgenogram taken 6 weeks after operation in which the sternal segments were treated with bone wax, all of which exhibited areas of radiolucency indicating nonunion.
The Annals of Thoracic Surgery  , DOI: ( /j.athoracsur )
Copyright © 2008 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Terms and Conditions

3. Fig 2
(A) The polymer-treated sternum shown in horizontal section. The bone is stained red. New bone has been formed within normal bone marrow, and intact cartilage is present between the sternal segments. (B) Sternum treated with bone wax shown in horizontal section. The bone is stained red. Bone wax is still present at the site (BW), with fibrotic scar in the area of the bone wax (F). There is scant new bone and minimal normal bone marrow. Intact cartilage is present between the sternal segments. (Sanderson stain, original magnification ×5).
The Annals of Thoracic Surgery  , DOI: ( /j.athoracsur )
Copyright © 2008 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Terms and Conditions

4. Fig 3
(A) Schematic representation of the three-point testing used to assess the strength of the healed sternum. (B) One segment of sternum undergoing three-point testing.
The Annals of Thoracic Surgery  , DOI: ( /j.athoracsur )
Copyright © 2008 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Terms and Conditions

5. Fig 4
The flexural strength of the polymer-treated sternal segments (2.53 ± 0.43 megapascal [MPa]) was significantly greater than segments in the group treated with bone wax (1.29 ± 0.37; p < 0.001). The error bars signify the standard deviation.
The Annals of Thoracic Surgery  , DOI: ( /j.athoracsur )
Copyright © 2008 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Terms and Conditions

6. Fig 5
The Young's modulus of the polymer-treated sternal segments (0.315 ± megapascal [MPa]) were significantly greater than that of the bone wax group (0.146 ± MPa; p < 0.001). The error bars signify the standard deviation.
The Annals of Thoracic Surgery  , DOI: ( /j.athoracsur )
Copyright © 2008 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Terms and Conditions